19 minute read
Economic Development
Bristol Works
ARPA money will go towards workforce development
In order for economic development to take hold in our towns and cities, businesses must want to put roots down in our state. And one of the best ways to do that is through workforce development, a fact that the Bristol ARPA task force is hoping to build upon.
It’s been said for years that workforce development has changed dramatically since the advent of computer technology. In fact, a good definition of workforce development is to meet the needs of not just current businesses, but future businesses as well.
With support from the Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, Bristol is looking into areas that they can enhance these efforts throughout the city.
From an article in the Bristol Press, the Chamber’s CEO, Cindy Bombard, said that they would like to see programs to help jumpstart the workforce on basic manufacturing, information technology, healthcare, and early childhood development. These programs “are intended to provide skills and certifications so that would-be workers can jump into employment quickly.”
The other side of this equation would be getting people into education programs from local schools. They are looking to partner not only with Tunxis Community College but with the local public schools as well.
Like the famed “Silver Tsunami” that is affecting state government, a wave of retirements is going to hit many manufacturers and businesses who have long relied on a steady workforce comprised of individuals who were raised when these skills were more commonplace. Many times these jobs are now considered specialized.
In the same Press article, Bristol Mayor Jeff Caggiano describes this issue, and is quoted as saying:
At the time of writing this article, the town had not officially voted on this use of the ARPA funds, but it seems as if there is widespread support for a workforce development program.
If we want our economic development to be sustainable, then we are going to need a trained workforce. Programs that bring in all the stakeholders like the one proposed in Bristol will make that difference in the future.
Economic Development Certified
CEDAS awards 12 municipalities for economic development and land use
Despite the pandemic, towns and cities have been working tirelessly to make sure their economies grow. Since 2019, the Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS) has been awarding towns and cities who have excelled in this area and have announced their 2022 certified communities.
They created this Best Practices Certification Program to help participating municipalities improve the overall quality of economic development services by creating process standards; to drive communities to pursue excellence in land use and economic development; to accelerate sharing of best practices among community decision-makers; and to encourage more transparent, efficient, community-engaged economic development throughout Connecticut. In a press release on the certified communities, CEDAS Board President Kristen Gorski said, “I commend this year’s accreditation recipients. To become a certified community is an immense achievement, which is a tribute to each municipality’s dedication to reviewing existing strategies, determining areas where the community excels, recognizing areas of improvement, and actively focusing on advancing economic vitality.”
West Haven had put out a press release of its own citing work that had been done on Beach Street, the renovation of Allingtown Green, and the forthcoming opening of New England Brewing Co. as examples of projects that they believe led to their Silver Level accreditation.
Towns that want to participate in this program must look at their economic development and land use practices and policies through four key components: communications and marketing; coordination and collaboration; organizational capacity and strategy; and policies and programs.
Towns are awarded on a medaled basis similar to the Sustainable CT system, where the highest achieving towns are awarded a gold level, while towns that have gone above and beyond are awarded a bronze. Each correspond to how many points they’ve received in each of those four areas, plus an additional bonus points for community choice and presentation of application.
New Vibes For Bridgeport
Sound on the Sound brings live music back to Seaside Park
Live music is a great connector. Everyone coming together, swaying to the music, holding up a lighter (or cell phone) during the ballad. Even during COVID, people yearn for those collective memories. In September, Bridgeport will be home to a festival that will be one for the memory bank.
The new Sound on the Sound Festival will make its debut at Seaside Park in Bridgeport with headliners including Stevie Nicks, whose work both solo and with the legendary Fleetwood Mac speak for themselves, as well as a set by Dave Matthews with longtime collaborator Tim Reynolds.
The organizers, Founders Entertainment, said that they want to put together a big late-summer draw for Connecticut. And with the success of the Governor’s Ball that they hold in New York every year, they already have links to the industry that will get them access to big names like Nicks and Dave (which is what his biggest fans call him).
They will build on the success of Gathering of the Vibes, which had ended in 2015. Originally begun as a tribute to Grateful Dead singer Jerry Garcia, it had been held both in Bridgeport and in New York through its twenty year history. Founders Entertainment will honor the jam band roots by adding a second weekend of concerts in 2023 dedicated to jam bands in the tradition of the Vibes concert.
But with festival circuits these days, organizers have to plan sometimes years in advance to get the headliners they want. And while Founders says they have four headlining acts over the two weekend days, many of the jam bands they wanted to book for the next weekend were already billed somewhere else.
And though September is quite a ways away, the festival will likely have vaccination or test requirements that have generally made these events relatively safe.
The current unknowns are the total amount of acts that will play and who they will be, how much the ticket prices will be, and how popular this event will be. The organizers had suggested that up to 35,000 people can attend the event over the two days, and speaking to the Connecticut Post, discounts will be provided to Bridgeport residents.
One thing for sure is that this will be a boon to Bridgeport. Any attendees of the past Gathering of the Vibes know what a great place Seaside Park and Bridgeport can be to see live music.
ARPA Programs Are Beginning
Winchester using funds for economic development
One thing that was sure to come out of the American Rescue Plan Act was a staggering amount of innovative ideas from our towns and cities. The town of Winchester is one of the first out of the gates with a program to kick start economic development downtown with the Business Start-Up program.
According to the town’s press release, the town will be dispensing forgivable loans from $500 to $10,000 to applicants to help open a new business within Winchester/ Winsted, given that they meet all the required criteria.
Funding will help prospective business owners acquire property, make improvements to their business site, or hire additional employees that can help them expand. Other possibilities for receiving the grant money are available, but eligibility would be determined by the town.
The eligibility requirements are fairly simple: a complete application must be submitted, operations must be in town borders, it must be a new business or new to Winchester, it must be opened within six months of awarded money and open at least 30 hours, moving into a visible area, and the business must demonstrate their value to the community. (A full, detailed list of requirements is available at the town’s website.)
In order to help facilitate this program, the town has designated $50,000 to a part-time director of Economic Development who will be responsible for guiding in the growth of the local economy as well as an additional $40,000 for town marketing and economic development activities.
In addition to the ARPA funds, the town is using funds from the Building Healthier Communities Fund for a $150,000 Façade Improvement Program.
These funds are also forgivable loans between $500 and $20,000 to businesses in Winchester that are aimed at improving the exterior or visible interior of a commercial or industrial building. Unlike the Business Start-Up program, these funds are aimed at businesses that already existed in town, or for current owners of vacant buildings or storefronts.
It’s evident that economic development will be a crucial piece during recovery from the pandemic. While the news shows that the economy is rolling along, many towns and cities have felt the hit as fewer people walk down their main streets, patronizing the local businesses and restaurants that are the cornerstone of our municipalities.
As we move on through the year, we will begin to see more and more stories from around the state sharing just what Connecticut’s municipalities are going to be doing with ARPA funds. The programs here in Winchester are just the beginning.
2031 Seems So Far Away
State pot of community investment money says its time to plan for it now
While towns and cities across the state grapple with how to properly use the ARPA funds that were allocated in response to COVID, there’s another batch of funds that will become available in the next year for distressed communities. The Community Investment Fund 2030, part of this year’s budget is offering qualifying towns a chance to make a huge change.
At a time when investment in our towns and cities is more crucial than ever – these funds will be allocated to projects proposed by municipalities and vetted by the Board and the Governor.
Quoted in a CTMirror article, House Speaker Matt Ritter said that they want the eligible towns and cities to think big with their proposals; “These pots of money are going to be for projects you can look back at in five or 10 years and see a difference.”
House Speaker Matt Ritter
Though the projects aren’t as constricted as ARPA funds, there are some sample ideas that were given to guide the thought-process for municipalities.
“Projects that can be funded will serve the purpose of including but not limited to: To provide financing and loans for small businesses located in eligible municipalities; Improvements to water and sewer infrastructure to boost economic development; Affordable housing; Improvements to energy resiliency projects; Build facilities such as senior centers and libraries.”
Used in concert with ARPA funds and in the event that some form of infrastructure bill gets passed, these next few years can be transformative for the towns and cities of Connecticut to reinvigorate their infrastructure, economic development and more, leaving them much better suited to tackle the landscapes of tomorrow.
In a press release on the subject, State Senator Doug McCrory said “This fund is a significant opportunity to provide direct support to communities that for decades have been underserved and marginalized.”
“With this source of funding we can invest in projects that will create jobs, help residents gain the skills needed for a 21st century economy, and more to meet the needs of the entire family.”
These funds are guaranteed to last for five years, with an option to extend it for five more years for a total of 10 years.
Although these funds are not being allocated to every town and city in Connecticut, many of these distressed municipalities are hubs of their local economies, so any investment in them is an investment in their respective regions. This led Speaker Ritter to ask towns to work with local civic groups on where this investment would best be served.
Ten years is a long time – and no doubt you would see change. But with smart planning and big thinking, the Community Investment Fund 2030 could be a key part of a better future for Connecticut.
Goodbye Paycheck-To-Paycheck Lifestyle
Hartford is looking into a Universal Basic Income, a concept older than you
There is a growing segment of the population that believes the best way to solve inequity is simply to give people money, no strings attached. Supporters of a so-called Universal Basic Income include charitable billionaires, presidential candidates, and a surprisingly diverse group across the political spectrum. Hartford is now designing a test program that will send $500 a month to 25 single parents or guardians.
It might come as a shock that just handing people money has become a popular concept, but the idea goes back centuries, getting nods from individuals like Utopia writer Sir Thomas More and Patriot and Common Sense author Thomas Paine. In the modern era, it has been touted by Republicans and Democrats with elderly and disabled individuals guaranteed a minimum income through programs like Social Security.
The concept is simple: Give People Money. This was even the title of a book on the subject by Annie Lowrey. The kind of no-strings-attached wealth distribution has been tried in many places, notably in third world countries where people are subsisting on less than a few dollars a day. Receiving an allotment of money was able to change entire economies, and Lowrey gives examples of areas where individuals were able to start businesses and become self-reliant.
This is the reflex where a Universal Basic Income receives support across the spectrum. Since individuals are receiving money, their reliance on welfare programs diminishes. In Hartford, the task force in designing the program believes that participants in the test might be asked to give fingernail or hair samples in order to test for stress levels.
Annie Lowrey’s Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World makes a case for UBI
In this testing phase, the participants are going to be asked to work with the panel designing the program to look at household necessities, how the UBI money is being spent, and what the outcomes are. One reason that the UBI program chose single parents is so they can look at the children’s test scores with the idea that they will increase.
One obvious question is: Who pays for it? In Hartford, like in many other UBI programs around the world, there is a private backer – either a charity or individual. But programs that approximate UBI in America like Social Security are paid with taxes. And the checks that were parts of Presidents Trump and Biden’s recovery plans were a kind of UBI on a limited basis.
Income Inequality in 2021 is at one of the highest levels in history, and in 2017, Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates shared a linkedin post showing that the top .1% of earners owned almost as much wealth as the bottom 90%. The last time this happened was in the late 20s.
Though they are still planning how the UBI will look in Hartford, it’s a sign of things to come around the country. With the popularity of the stimulus checks and support from billionaires like Elon Musk, it wouldn’t be shocking to see these programs grow. With growing income inequality, you might even call it common sense.
You Mean Like The Mall?
Municipalities take the initiative to repurpose vacant retail properties
Connecticut’s malls and retail centers have been hit especially hard in the wake of the pandemic. However, these same struggling and often vacant properties present unique opportunities for repurposing and adaptive reuse.
“The best use and most appropriate plan of implementation will vary by property and municipality,” says Pullman & Comley attorney Gary B. O’Connor, co-chair of Pullman & Comley’s Real Estate, Energy, Environmental and Land Use Department. “But there is consensus that time is running out. Municipalities must be proactive and take steps to ensure that these properties can be adapted to meet evolving market demands and community preferences, before decisions are made by out-of-state lenders or discount purchasers that don’t necessarily take into consideration the best interests of the communities in which these properties are located.”
Home Sweet Home?
Some New England municipalities have already begun to work with owners to adapt retail centers to new or expanded uses. The CitySquare project in Worcester transformed a vacant mall into over 2 million square feet of desirable commercial, medical, retail, entertainment, and residential space. This mixed use project included public-private financing: $25 million state financing, $70 million from the City of Worcester; $470 million in private development funds. Redevelopment of multiple big box stores are currently under consideration in New Hampshire.
As mall properties tend to be centrally located and well-connected to transit, with large numbers of parking spaces, they also represent attractive spaces for potential housing developments, including affordable housing projects. In Trumbull, the city’s planning and zoning commission gave its approval last October on the plan to build 260 apartments at the Trumbull Mall, after having voted in favor of regulations in 2018 that paved the way for the project.
Centennial Real Estate, the owner of the Connecticut Post Mall, has not enjoyed similar results. In October 2020, Milford P&Z rejected a proposal which would have allowed a 300unit apartment building at the mall.
Current planning and zoning regulations in many Connecticut municipalities are relatively restrictive, offering little flexibility with respect to the types of uses allowed in a particular zone. This poses a time-consuming and expensive challenge to owners of malls and large retail centers who are attempting to avoid financial ruin. “
It is incumbent upon municipalities, particularly their land use agencies and boards, to be more cognizant of the dramatic changes that are presently occurring in the retail industry,” says Pullman & Comley attorney Amanda G. Gurren. “They need to create workable standards and expedited approval processes that will allow for the necessary repurposing, rehabilitation, and/or construction of these properties.”
Likewise, in some instances, the investment of state and local funds may be necessary to incentivize a property owner to repurpose a mall property in line with the community vision.
Large retail centers have been important contributors to the communities in which they are located. Historically, they have represented a source of millions of dollars of annual tax revenue, employed hundreds of area residents over the years, and drawn consumer spending from beyond their immediate geographical areas. If these properties are to remain community assets, local governments must take the initiative.
Are You A Tourist?
CT Towns and Cities look to summer vacation boost
Have you booked your summer vacation yet? If not, you might want to as a mixture of pent up demand and caution might have Connecticut booming with tourists this summer for a quick weekend getaway.
Christine Castonguay, the Interim Director of CT Tourism came on the Municipal Voice, the podcast of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and WNHH FM, to discuss why more people might be saying “Yes to Connecticut.”
That is the slogan of CT Tourism’s newest campaign, which Castonguay says was born out of research and observing the trends of what’s going on.
“We had almost 60% say ‘yes, once I am vaccinated, I am going to be out enjoying tourism activities,’” she said, “But the interesting thing to note is people also were indicating that they wanted to stay within 100 miles of home.”
In a reversal of the old adage that Connecticut is uniquely situated between New York City and Boston, the state’s location might be the selling point – “it provides ample opportunity for everybody to travel less and enjoy more.”
Tourism is no small industry in Connecticut. According to her figures, the tourism industry brings in $15.5 billion to Connecticut, supporting 123,000 jobs.
While it took a hit in 2020, Castonguay praised the industry leaders for being creative and innovative in the way that they were able to provide services and leisure opportunities. Measures like outdoor dining and online art galleries allowed businesses and institutions the ability to stay connected to the public while they weathered the pandemic.
“I think communicating the cleaning protocols that were in place, the social distancing, the mask wearing, the sanitation, but also a lot of the automated options, checking into your lodging facility via mobile phone or purchasing tickets online, cutting down on those touch points is what brought us here,” Castonguay said.
Some of the measures that were taken during this time might be here to stay: some social distancing, hand sanitizer stations, plexiglass barriers will all be part of the social landscape in the coming months, and maybe years.
In the near-term, there are programs like “Connecticut Drinks On Us,” that were coordinated between the Office of Tourism, the Governor’s Office, and the Connecticut Restaurant Association to give folks a free drink when they show they are vaccinated. V
accination clinics themselves are going to be a feature at local institutions – the Stafford Motor Speedway and Hartford Yard Goats offered vaccination clinics for guests.
“We’re starting to see some of those Fairs return, we’re starting to see outdoor music festivals, and also some indoor theater coming back online,” she said, “And that really feels so good as a Connecticut resident.”
For those that want to head outdoors, Castonguay mentioned the ParkConneCT program which offers fare free shuttle service to state parks, and Weekend Wheels which is free bus service on Saturdays and Sundays. Both programs run through Labor Day.
“We need to support our local restaurants, to go to Pomfret or small towns and walk the Main Street and the Town Green, shop at the local boutiques, go to the local coffee shop, go to those local attractions and really continue to support the economic recovery here in Connecticut,” she said.
“That is really, at the end of the day, what we’re all trying to do.”
The Economic Development section of CT&C is sponsored by New Haven Terminal, Inc. Learn more at: www.newhaventerminal.com
