Aug. 31—NORWICH — Five businesses have been awarded the final $277,000 in business matching grants through the $3.5 million Norwich Revitalization Program.
The program is funded with city federal American Rescue Plan Act money.
Federal law requires municipalities to allocate the money by Dec. 31, but the Norwich City Council set a Sept. 30 deadline when it turned over the $3.5 million to the Norwich Community Development Corp. for the economic development program.
NCDC President Kevin Brown thanked his staff for taking on the extra duty of managing the program over the past two years. A committee of business and financial specialists screened applications. Brown said allocating the funds ahead of the federal deadline gives flexibility to handle last-minute changes.
The largest grant announced last week was $103,500 to assist in the renovation of one of the last remaining mostly vacant buildings in the Stanley Israelite Norwich Business Park, the former Thames Printing building at 1 Wisconsin Ave. Owner Norwich Wisconsin LLC is renovating the 66,000-square-foot building to seek a manufacturing or distribution tenant.
Thames Printing closed in 2011, and the building has been slowly deteriorating. Norwich Wisconsin LLC purchased it and the 12.4 acres of land in April for $2.9 million. AVSBio, a veterinary laboratory services company, leases about 16,000 square feet in the left wing of the building.
The main manufacturing space is a vast empty area with a front lobby desk and office area. Ceiling tiles have been removed and the floor is bare concrete.
An architect's rendering stands near the road showing a renovated building with "Company Logo" written across the front facade.
Brown said there are several potential tenants for the space that represent, "significant potential job growth."
"Our vision is to transform the building to attract a regional manufacturing tenant," Norwich Wisconsin representative John Cafasso said in a statement about the grant award.
The grant will be used to replace the roof, continue interior renovations, replace HVAC equipment and make exterior improvements, Cafasso said.
"We look forward to working with NCDC and Norwich officials to bring this building and its job-creating, revenue-generating productivity back to life," Cafasso said.
Two grants will help businesses move into street-level commercial spaces in the newly renovated Water Street Lofts. The two-building complex at 77-91 Main St. earlier received a $400,000 grant and a $400,000 loan through the city's ARPA grant.