Bridgeport, CT – Today, the State of Connecticut Community Investment Fund 2030 Board announced that it will grant the City of Bridgeport $3.5 million to complete the East End development project known as the “Civic Block” or “Honey Locust Square.” The Civic Block development will be a 35,000 ft2  retail space that would include a grocery store within the East End community. The project is well underway with the help of $1 million in City financing announced in January. With the infusion of $3.5 million from the Community Investment Fund, the project is now fully funded.

“I want to thank the State of Connecticut Community Investment Fund Board, along with our State Legislative Delegation, for providing the City of Bridgeport with the funding it needs to continue this East End development project,” Mayor Ganim stated. “The East End is one of the many communities we’ve been working to revitalize. The residents of that neighborhood deserve to have a local grocery store nearby, along with other essential services. It is also our hope that this site will host a local bank branch which will provide critical banking services to the residents of the East End.”

State Rep Antonio Felipe, a voting member of the Community Investment Fund Board stated, “The Civic Block encapsulates the very spirit of creating the Community Investment Fund. This project has been a labor of love and a dedication to service in a neighborhood that needs it the most.”

The State of Connecticut Community Investment Fund (CIF) has been working to assist eligible municipalities to achieve their economic potential by providing funding to underserved communities. CIF has stated that they are planning to provide a total of up to $875 million in funds to municipalities and not-for-profit organizations, along with the community development corperations that operate with them. With the City of Bridgeport being one of those municipalities, the City’s East End will reap many benefits upon the completion of the Civic Block development.