seCTer’s work was on full display in front of a large crowd of state and regional leaders, statewide media and the general public during the June 6 opening celebration of the renovated Riverbank Building in the heart of downtown New London on Bank Street.
The event was held on the first-floor, where Tox Brewing has relocated from outside downtown to the heart of the waterfront commercial district. Tox expanded into a 14,000-square-foot space from its original 1,400-square-foot space and purchased new equipment with the help of a $300,000 Boost loan from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development administered by seCTer and a $20,000 seCTerRise grant.
The Riverbank was renovated by High Tide Capital using historic renovation tax credits. The 1886 building now features 32 mixed-income apartments on the upper floors, all of which are already claimed by people seeking to live in downtown New London.
High Tide Capital invested several million dollars to complete the renovation, a commitment highlighted during the event.
With Tox Brewing anchoring the retail aspect of the project, seCTer Executive Director Paul Whitescarver was invited to speak and said the project represented a “pivot point” in the City’s efforts to get empty buildings filled again after the COVID-19 pandemic stalled many projects that had been underway. Mayor Passero called it a “big, big day for the City and especially downtown.”
The headline in The Day boasted “The Riverbank completion heralds Bank Street revival.”
And seCTer was at the heart of it!
