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Economic Development Projects
Cromwell, Connecticut August 2005
Northern Tier Industrial Development.
For several years the Economic Development Commission (EDC) has been
working to develop the industrially zoned lands in the northern most
section of town. This area is defined by U.S. Interstate 91 on the
west, to the east by Connecticut Route 99, to the north by the town
of Rocky Hill and in the south by Coles Road, Geer and Court Street.
To facilitate development of this area
significant infrastructure improvements need to be made. These
improvements include but are not necessarily limited to: extension
of utilities, improvements to existing roads, making the access road
to the Town transfer station a public road and the replacement of
the sewer pumping station that services the area.
Two grants have been obtained from the State of
Connecticut Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) totaling
$945,000 for the purpose of making infrastructure improvements.
Through this grant program the Town has conducted a marketability
study of the area and is currently working on a Connecticut
Environmental Policy Act study or EIE. The grant is being managed
by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development
(DECD), which requires the study prior to releasing any funds for
infrastructure improvements. Currently there is a need to
prioritize the infrastructure improvements to determine how the
existing grant funds will be used.
In
2004, a Delta Building Corporation, a local developer, purchased a
13-acre track of land formerly known as 233 Shunpike Road. The Town
contributed to the development of this parcel by making a grant to
Delta in the amount of $350,000 for to extend the sewer line and to
make necessary road improvements. Delta made a subdivision
application in the spring of 2004 to create seven building lots and
named the project Coles Brook Commerce Park. The project has been
extremely successful. Advanced Copy Technology Inc., an existing
Cromwell business has constructed and begun occupying the first
building on the site. The building is 9,000 square feet and the
business employs twenty-five individuals full time. The second
project is a 10,000 square foot building constructed by Merola
Properties LLC. The current building is the first phase of a
two-phase project that will ultimately consist of a 24,000 square
foot mixed use building. Millard Enterprises, an operating company
owned by Merola, is the first tenant in the mixed-use building
occupying approximately 4,000 and employing ten people. Fully built
out it is expected the project will house up to seven businesses.
The third project under construction is a nearly 10,000 square foot
class A office building to house PrimePay of Connecticut, another
existing Cromwell business. PrimePay will
employ twenty-five employees at the new
location with intentions to grow to 50 employees within five years.
In addition to these projects, a fourth building is being planned
for a local lighting fixture distribution company. This building
will be approximately 8,000 square feet. Within the last month,
Delta has made an agreement with a computer company to purchase two
lots to construct a facility for their operations. This leaves one
remaining lot available for development.
The Development of Coles Brook Commerce Park
has substantially sparked interest in the surrounding industrial
area. The owner of a majority of the property is the Gardner
family. They currently operate an ornamental plant nursery on much
of the property. They are considering development options. Further
the owners of Cromwell Concrete the owners of a parcel on the
eastern side of Shunpike Road are considering building on their
property. A well-known national developer has also expressed
interest in a large-scale project on the eastern side utilizing the
Gardner lands.
Cromwell has had discussions with the Town of
Rocky Hill regarding the mutual development of the area. Both towns
need infrastructure improvements to facilitate development and
intend to work jointly if possible to the mutual benefit of both.
Riverfront Development.
The Town of Cromwell, Connecticut offered for development a unique
32-acre site along the Connecticut River in Cromwell. The Town owns
the property. The project area is centrally located and provides
great opportunity for private development. The town is sought a
private sector partner who has the resources to develop the site
into an attractive gateway project and capture the advantage and
market potential of the area. A detailed vision plan was prepared
in 1997. It has been used as a guide to development objectives.
In April of
2003, the Economic Development Commission developed a comprehensive
request for qualified developers (RFQ). To ensure a good response
it was aggressively marketed to a targeted audience. The property
was featured on CERC’s SiteFinder as property of the month, paid
advertisements appeared in regional real estate journals and press
releases were circulated to all the business and real estate
periodicals in the northeast. Three high quality developers came
forward and two were short-listed for the next phase of the
selection process. Both projects represent development projects
that would add between 25 and 35 million dollars to the local grand
list and provide significant economic stimulus. Working with the
Board of Selectman the EDC prepared a request for proposal and
circulated it to the short-listed developers.
Of the two developers selected to submit a proposal, only Apollo
Holdings L.L.C. responded. Apollo is proposing to partner with the
Town of Cromwell in its effort to develop a 32-acre parcel of town
owned riverfront land. The proposal was submitted to the Economic
Development Commission at its October 16, 2003 regular meeting. The
two-page letter outlines a partnership structure where Apollo would
take the lead in coordinating the efforts to refine the development
plan and pursue the regulatory approvals. The Town would be
directly involved in all key plan decisions, provide “political
muscle” with regard to regulatory issues and use its status as
public entity to access state and federal funding that would be
necessary to make the vision of this project a reality. Some
investment on the Town’s part would be required but the Apollo
proposal indicates that the developer would seek the bulk of funds
needed to address technical and regulatory issues from state and
federal sources.
The concept plan put forward by Apollo
recommends a mix of private and public space. The private space
consists of an approximately eight-story building with
commercial/retail space on the first floor and luxury residential
condominium units on the floors above. Conceptually, a 6-acre
riverfront gateway park made up of pedestrian trails, a river
overlook, athletic fields and a small outdoor amphitheater abuts the
private development area. Substantial public parking would be
provided. The most exciting and most challenging component of the
plan is a proposed 60-slip marina that extends from the gateway park
to the southern most edge of downtown Cromwell. The total value of
the project is estimated to exceed $25 million.
The site presents formidable development
challenges. It is entirely within the 100-year flood plain and over
60% of the site is located in wetlands. Overcoming these challenges
will require substantial local and state regulatory involvement.
Significant investment in time and effort will be needed to over
come the challenges.
Apollo estimates pre-development costs to total
$235,500. These costs include addressing both technical and
regulatory issues.
The submission by Apollo culminates a process
begun in April of 2003. The Economic Development Commission
circulated a request for qualified firms to make proposals for the
development of the riverfront property on River Road. Three firms
came forward, Lafayette Landing LLC (proposing a restaurant and
banquet facility), Ginsburg Development CT, LLC (proposing a luxury
residential condominium) and Apollo. Apollo was the top choice
because they most closely matched the vision set forward by the
Commission.
Progress in implementing Apollo’s proposal has
lagged during the past eighteen months. The EDC had stipulated that
a marina must be part of the development and Apollo was concerned
about the regulatory and environmental complications of this cost.
Recently, the EDC has removed the requirement that the project
contains a marina and as a consequence Apollo has rekindled its
interest. Apollo is looking for the Town to take the lead in
permitting the project. Apollo would like to see the town bear the
cost of permitting estimated at $100,000. The EDC has hired a
planning firm to assess the highest and best use of the property,
the viability of Apollo’s proposal and the constraints both
environmental and regulatory.
Historic Downtown Development
The EDC has formed a committee to work with stakeholders in the
historic downtown area. The committee’s central purpose is to form
a grassroots organization that will employ the “Main Street”
approach to redevelopment. A four-prong tactic of organization,
design, promotion and economic restructuring has begun in the tried
and true fashion
Working jointly, the EDC and grassroots
committee will prepare and submit an application for a STEAP grant
to develop a façade improvement program, a pain program and to
construct or improve focal points of the downtown area. The
historic downtown is also the setting for the Town’s annual
Riverport Festival. A street festival with vendors, games, rides,
food and entertainment that celebrates Cromwell’s downtown,
riverfront and history as a center for shipping. The committee will
assist in cleaning up the area by sponsoring a neighborhood clean
up. They will also assist in promoting the event.
The committee is strong and has more than 30
volunteers making up its membership. The EDC has paid for a
membership in the Connecticut Main Street Center’s (the statewide
Main Street organization sponsored by CL&P and DECD) Downtown
Revitalization Institute this allows volunteers to attend training
and receive technical support from statewide and national resources
focused on downtown redevelopment. The committee meets the first
Tuesday of every month.
Community Promotion.
Despite a lack of inventory the EDC stays busy with a simple
promotional campaign. The message is simple and directed to both an
internal and external audience. Messages include opportunities that
exist in Cromwell for the consumer, traveler and resident. In
addition, economic development projects, new and growing businesses
and incentives to relocate are also featured in the various venues.
In the past three years Cromwell has exhibited
via an information booth at the Buick Championship, a national PGA
golf tournament held annually in the town. The EDC is also afforded
other sponsorship benefits to aid in promotion. This information
booth/welcome center is also set up and staffed at the Riverport
Festival and the regional chamber of commerce business exposition.
Other promotional activities included the EDC’s
web site, mycromwell.com, featuring information about local
businesses, available commercial and industrial property and other
economic development related information. The EDC has also been
working with the private sector and civic groups to improve the
Town’s gateways by improving welcome signs. The town also is
involved in a public private partnership with Greater Hartford
Magazine and through this is able to create a full color glossy
promotional piece inserted in the magazine and the town is provided
several thousand overruns. For distribution at events and use in
promotional packets.
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