MIDDLETOWN, Conn.— Unspent funds from the American Rescue Plan Act that had been slated to remediate a plot of land for a Dairy Queen will instead go to a credit union after plans for the restaurant fell through.

The Common Council has approved giving the unspent portion of the approximately $607,600 grant, which totals about $565,400, to Ellafi Credit Union, which rebranded itself in April of this year to help “women+” navigate their finances, the Middletown Press reported. It was formerly known as Seasons FCU. The name is drawn from Empower and Lead women+ with the goal to Lift economic resilience and help women, and their allies, Achieve Financial Independence

The original grant was awarded to JDS Holdings Principal John DeSena in June 2022 to renovate a brownfield for the national fast-food chain.

Championing Equity

The $178-million Ellafi Credit Union, which is located next door at 524 S. Main St., focuses on women and women-owned businesses “adversely impacted” by the pandemic, it said in a press statement.

The credit union “created to champion equity, empower women, and serve every member of our community,” President and CEO Keith A. Wiemert added in the statement.