Titled “Creating a Strategic Vision for Fairfield,” the report represents the culmination of a year-long planning effort that involved high-level stakeholder interviews, focus group sessions, public workshops as well as a business and resident survey. The report focuses on several key areas including improving the regulatory process, supporting mixed use development opportunities around transit, strengthening cooperation with the Town’s two universities and developing a marketing and communications plan. The first such effort in over a decade, the plan is intended to establish goals and priorities in the Town’s economic development programs to support the local business community, to encourage entrepreneurship and new business formation and to attract businesses to Fairfield.
“Our focus remains on how we can grow the business sector and the commercial grand list as well as create employment opportunities for our residents, but do so in a responsible way that is sensitive to our community character,” stated Mr. Barnhart.
“This plan really serves as a blueprint for the Town to follow in order to achieve its economic development goals,” stated Peter Penczer, Chairman of the Fairfield Economic Development Commission. “The EDC will begin work on implementing key recommendations from the study in the coming months."
The report was prepared with the assistance of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC) a non-profit corporation based in Rocky Hill, that provides its clients with strategic business, real estate, research and marketing services with a focus on economic development and leveraging the State’s advantages as a premier business location. The study was partially underwritten by a grant from the United Illuminating Company and Southern Connecticut Gas. The photo shows Robert (Bob) Santy, President and CEO of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC) and Fairfield Community & Economic Development Director Mark Barnhart.
The report was prepared with the assistance of the CERC.