Beacon Falls greenway honored by economic center

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The Connecticut Economic Resource Center honored Naugatuck River Greenway in Beacon Falls at its annual CELEBRATE CT! event Nov. 28. –FILE PHOTO

HARTFORD — The Naugatuck River Greenway in Beacon Falls was one of two local economic development initiatives honored at the Connecticut Economic Resource Center’s annual CELEBRATE CT! event.

The Connecticut Economic Resource Center along with economic development officials in Waterbury and Naugatuck chose to honor the greenway along with Waterbury’s anti-blight program during the event, which was held Nov. 28 at The Bushnell in Hartford.

“These awards underscore the state’s and region’s innovation in and commitment to the growth of Connecticut,” said CERC President and CEO Robert Santy in a prepared statement. “We partner with each region to identify some of the year’s most outstanding economic development initiatives and leaders, and CERC is pleased to acknowledge them at this celebratory year-end event.”

The greenway, which was officially opened in September with a ribbon cutting, was the culmination of a 13-year local, regional, and national effort to reclaim a lane of old Route 8 in Beacon Falls as a multi-use path along the Naugatuck River. The greenway is a part of a 44-mile proposed greenway trail that will connect 11 municipalities along the Naugatuck River from Torrington to Derby.