Lamont signs bond package containing Norwich Hospital cleanup funds

Preston — Gov. Ned Lamont on Friday signed a bill containing the proposed $398.4 million municipal bond package that includes a $7 million grant to the town of Preston to finish the cleanup of the former Norwich Hospital.

“I thank the General Assembly for overwhelmingly approving a bipartisan bond package that keeps a promise I made to our state’s towns and cities,” Lamont said in a news release announcing the signing. “From investments in local education to capital projects to long overdue improvements in our state’s infrastructure, this bond package makes smart investments, all while holding the line on borrowing and maintaining our commitment to being fiscally responsible.”

Lamont’s signing announcement did not state a projected meeting date for the state Bond Commission to consider the package.

Preston officials have estimated the final remaining cleanup of the 393-acre former Norwich Hospital property at $9 million, including a $2 million state low-interest loan the town secured previously. The funding was requested after environmental crews discovered extensive coal ash contamination throughout the campus in roadbeds and beneath parking lots.

Once the cleanup is completed, the property will be turned over to Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment for its proposed $400 million to $600 million development. The conceptual plan called for a mixture of recreational, sports, retail, hotel, marina and senior housing projects.