Connecticut plans to add 1,510 cremation burial plots at the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown. The Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs estimates existing cremation burial capacity would otherwise run out around January 2028.
A $584,250 federal grant will complement $294,250 in state funding, Gov. Ned Lamont's office announced Oct. 2. The expansion will use adjoining land formerly used by Connecticut Valley Hospital, next to the cemetery at 317 Bow Lane.
The state money will pay for demolition of the vacant hospital building known as Cottage 22. Federal funding will cover burial plots, an entry gate, fencing, landscaping, irrigation and supporting infrastructure.
The department projects that the added cremation plots will keep that burial option available through at least December 2033.
The cemetery serves eligible military veterans, spouses and minor children. No construction completion date was announced.