Senator Collins Secures Nearly $400,000 in Funding Bill to Help Expand Stonington’s Waterfront Infrastructure

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, announced today that she secured $394,000 in the draft Fiscal Year 2022 Housing Appropriations bill to support the purchase of a waterfront parcel in Stonington.  Senator Collins is the Ranking Member and lead Republican on the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee.  The bill, which was officially released by the full Appropriations Committee this afternoon, must still be voted upon by the full Senate and House.

“The purchase of the Odd Fellows Hall would provide Stonington with a unique opportunity to invest in the community’s wastewater infrastructure, preserve a historically significant building, expand the town’s vibrant working waterfront, and retain public access to the shoreline,” said Senator Collins.  “The funding for this project will provide significant, lasting benefits to the entire community and the fishing industry.  I will continue to support Maine’s hardworking fishermen and their families, and I will champion this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”

If the Fiscal Year 2022 Housing Appropriations bill is enacted into law, Stonington will use this funding to purchase the Odd Fellows Hall, an architecturally-significant feature of Main Street that was built in the 1800s.  The property includes shore frontage that is adjacent to the skiff docking space on the municipal Fish Pier. 

By acquiring this parcel, Stonington would expand the municipal water system, which is in need of expansion to keep up with expected business growth downtown and increase capacity for the Fish Pier, which faces more demand for use that it can currently meet.  Additionally, Stonington plans to repurpose the Odd Fellows Hall building by incentivizing first floor retail and exploring other economic development opportunities for the second floor.

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