"This is a significant victory for those of us who have worked so hard to make this project a reality," said state Sen.

Martin Looney, D-New Haven, who was one of the first officials to advocate for construction of a new Gateway facility on Church Street.

Among other things, the funds will be used to design the 358,000-square-foot college on the 3.2-acre site formerly used by Macy’s and Malley’s department stores, a two-block area on Church stretching from North Frontage Road to Crown Street.

The funds will also underwrite the $6 million cost of demolishing the Macy’s building, as well as help with the acquisition of two sites in the immediate area that will support new garages and add 200 spaces to the Temple Street Garage.

The city is committed to providing 1,200 new parking spaces to accommodate the school.

"I can’t think of anything more essential to the future of the work force of the city than an expanded and consolidated Gateway campus and I think putting it downtown is a smart thing for a college town to do," said Mayor John DeStefano Jr.

The college and relocation of Long Wharf Theatre to a portion of the closed Veterans Memorial Coliseum is phase one of a $230 million development that looks to private investment to fund construction of five apartment buildings with some 280 units, street-level retail space and a possible hotel and convention center.

The Board of Aldermen has been asked to approve an amendment to the city’s Municipal Development Plan that would facilitate acquisition of land and easements necessary to the plan.

Aldermanic President George Perez said there would be at least one hearing on this and he would recommend that there be a separate hearing on the proposed demolition of the Coliseum. The $6 million needed to accomplish this is part of a capital budget amendment currently before the aldermen.

Not everyone is onboard with the proposal, with several architectsquestioning whether placement of Gateway downtown on prime commercial property makes sense. They are also upset that there was no public input on demolishing the Coliseum, which city officials said was a losing proposition to continue to operate.

"The problem is these are after-the-fact hearings," Yale professor David Cameron said of bringing in the public at this time. "It’s really a warped notion of democracy," he said.