NORWICH – The Norwich Common Council has agreed to a state grant that city officials say will help breathe new life into a dilapidated part of downtown.

Council members accepted the $120,000 grant at their regular meeting held earlier this month. Funding, which comes by way of the Empire State Development Corporation, will be used in the city’s Heritage Block restoration project. Specifically, money will be used to redesign and construct the shared parking lot between Mechanic Street and Lackawanna Avenue.

When finished, city officials say the parking area will improve the downtown landscape and, because of the parking lot’s new design and drainage system, it will be more environmentally friendly.

The project has already undergone a New York State environmental quality review, and met review requirements of the State Historic Preservation Office. Funding from the Empire State Development Corporation leverages additional funds the city has already secured from the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation’s “Green Innovation Grant Program.”