Branford, CT - Historic, local and sustainable Stony Creek Granite has been chosen for the Gateway to New Haven, a new set of pedestrian and bike friendly street improvements to link South Orange Street with the Union Station area.  The City of New Haven shows its commitment to combating climate change with its choice of this natural stone and its emphasis on pollution free transportation options for City residents.
 
“The City of New Haven is proud to use Stony Creek Granite as we build this important new gateway to the Elm City as part of the Downtown Crossing project”, said Justin Elicker, Mayor of New Haven.  “The granite  was chosen not only for its beauty, but also because it allowed us to employ green building practices since the material is native to New Haven County.  Given that New Haven is a coastal city, green and low carbon options are always important.”
 
Darrell Petit, Stony Creek Quarry Corporation, agreed: “Stony Creek Granite is the historic, sustainable and most natural stone for the Elm City.” Tom Cleveland, Director of Sustainability, seconded the choice: "Stony Creek Quarry applauds the City of New Haven for choosing the local and lowest embodied carbon option for its landscaping.  Stony Creek Granite is mined less than 15 miles from New Haven in a sustainable fashion – we are the third company in the world to be certified to the ANSI/NSC 373 Sustainable Production of Natural Dimension Stone standard."
 
The quarry will provide approximately 4,500 cubic feet of Stony Creek Granite blocks to their fabrication partner, Polycor (now the largest natural stone quarrier in the world).  “Working with folks from the Stony Creek Quarry is a synonym of collaboration and camaraderie" says Hugo Vega, Vice-President of Project Sales at Polycor. "The strength of our partnership for Downtown Crossing goes beyond the call of duty. We’re united in our vision of promoting sustainable stones proudly quarried in the U.S.", Vega continues.  
 
Polycor will fabricate the approximately 7,000 square feet of custom, architectural, cut-to-size material and deliver it to the general contractor, C.J. Fucci Construction Inc..  NBBJ, a global design firm, designed the elegant curved granite wall with rusticated cobble paving for the Orange St. intersection.  These natural stone features will seamlessly integrate the flow of pedestrians and bicyclists between the rail station and downtown as well as creating Connecticut's first protected bike intersection.
 
“For my team at NBBJ, using Stony Creek Granite was a natural and easy choice. It’s a locally sourced product, has a rich history in the area, and their team was very helpful as we worked through the decision-making process”, said Tony Murray, the project director for NBBJ.
 
Phase 2 of The Downtown Crossing Project is expected to be completed in 2021.  These civic streetscape improvements will help ensure that the City of New Haven remains a vibrant pedestrian and bike-friendly place for years to come.