UI, CNG, and SCG Provide $25,000 to Connecticut Main Street Center to Advance Economic Development across Connecticut
Member towns within companies’ service areas are invited to apply for funding through the grant, which aims to support efforts and programs to improve the vibrancy of downtown communities
ORANGE, Conn. — June 12, 2025 — Today, United Illuminating (UI), Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG), and Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG), subsidiaries of Avangrid, Inc., announced they are providing a $25,000 grant to Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC), a nonprofit that drives economic development and community pride through the revitalization of downtown areas in towns across Connecticut. Beginning at the end of July 2025, eligible member towns within the companies’ service areas are invited to apply for a portion of the $25,000 grant, which can be used to support improvements and initiatives in their downtown areas, such as installing inviting lighting, renovating building façades, creating public art and other beautification projects, and more. Applications from recipient towns are due to CMSC by November 14, 2025, and projects must be completed by December 31, 2026 following acceptance of their application.
“As proud providers of essential energy services across Connecticut for more than a century, UI, CNG, and SCG are fully committed to helping the cities and towns we serve to flourish,” said Frank Reynolds, President and CEO of UI, CNG, and SCG. “By investing in efforts to enhance downtown communities, we are also investing in economic development and community pride for both residents and businesses, which makes our cities and towns more walkable and more livable for all our stakeholders. The Connecticut Main Street Center is doing fantastic work to bring this mission to life across our state, and we are pleased to partner with them to advance our downtown communities.”
CMSC, a statewide nonprofit and a coordinating program of Main Street America, advances economic development and improvements to Connecticut’s quality of life by supporting municipal main streets, downtowns, village centers, and neighborhood commercial districts. For over twenty-five years, CMSC has contributed to revitalizing and maintaining community vibrancy by offering education, training, technical assistance, events, and advocacy to Main Street stakeholders across the state, including municipal economic development and planning professionals, business owners and community leaders, Business Improvement and Special Services Districts, and Economic Development and Cultural District Commissions in Connecticut’s cities, suburbs, and rural communities.
”Downtowns are living ecosystems that need constant maintenance to stay healthy and vibrant,” said Michelle McCabe, the Executive Director of CMSC. “Often, that means undertaking small yet vital and visible changes. In collaborating with UI, CNG, SCG, and Avangrid on the EmPOWERing Main Street Fund, we’re enabling main street communities to address targeted projects that will enhance the downtown experience, in turn boosting foot traffic and demand for local businesses. We’re excited to partner with these companies on this new resource for our downtowns, especially as funding for these types of projects can be scarce.”
While CMSC offers programming and resources available to all communities in Connecticut and beyond, CMSC offers towns and cities the opportunity to become members for deeper assistance, training, and partnership. There are four categories of membership: General Membership, which includes municipal members as well as volunteer-led and nonprofit downtown organizations; Professionally Managed Membership, which includes Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Special Service Districts (SSDs), and downtowns who employ someone to specifically manage the area; Regional Membership, which collectively represent several individual towns, such as Councils of Government (COGs); and Multi-District Membership, which offers urban or other municipalities the opportunity to receive CMSC’s services for multiple commercial districts. CMSC members receive individualized annual assessments, training and education on best practices for downtown revitalization, access to both local and national subject matter experts, access to a Community Resource Center, and more.
For more information on CMSC and its work to enhance Connecticut communities, please visit https://ctmainstreet.org/.
Media Contact:
Sarah Wall Fliotsos