You are on page 1of 5

WATERBURY REGIONAL CHAMBER SCOPE OF WORK FY JULY 1, 2011 - 12 IN SUPPORT OF THE CITY OF WATERBURYS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS

Submitted by Lynn Ward President & CEO April, 2011

Waterbury Regional Chamber


SCOPE OF WORK FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDING FY 2011 - 12 The Waterbury Regional Chamber (WRC) remains a partner with the City of Waterbury in designing its Economic Development delivery system. The WRC continues to work in collaboration with the City, the Waterbury Development Corporation and Main Street Waterbury to improve the economic viability of the City through economic development projects, jobs growth and maintenance of our Citys quality of life. The WRC supports the City through its significant contributions to the WDC Board of Directors and its involvement in numerous City projects and business development. Similarly the City has been supportive of the WRC in its efforts to support and house the Main Street Waterbury program. Main Street Waterbury focuses its efforts on the revitalization of downtown Waterbury. The WRC in its own right works diligently in the region as well as in Hartford to develop tools and advocate for legislation that supports the City of Waterbury. The following items are specific to economic development efforts on behalf of the Chamber: ESTABLISHMENT OF A COORDINATED LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT The City, the WRC and others have been successful in advancing a number of initiatives that are designed to assist in the Citys ongoing revitalization efforts. The WRC is now working to better coordinate the efforts of the Mayors Office, the Waterbury Development Corporation, Main Street Waterbury and the Chambers own priorities to create a comprehensive and coordinated legislative agenda. Specifically, the WRC is working in close coordination on economic development matters with: the Mayor and his staff the Waterbury Development Corporation the Main Street Waterbury Corporation the Small Manufacturers Association 2

Department of Economic and Community Development CT Small Business Development Center U.S. Small Business Administration

The following items are economic development priorities identified and supported by the Chamber: Brownfield legislation that provides a dedicated funding source for Brownfield remediation Additional funding for Incumbent Worker Training programs Support for the Regional Multi-Model Transportation Center Collaboration with the Transportation Strategy Board to ensure that the Greater Waterbury region receives adequate infrastructure investment Support of the Waterbury Rail Branch Line

ESTABLISHMENT OF A COORDINATED STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Similar to our collective efforts in matters of legislative importance, the City, the Waterbury Development Corporation, Main Street Waterbury and others have established their visions and strategic plans for the Citys economic revitalization. A single coordinating entity that has ties to all other major economic development initiators will ensure a higher level of performance and achievement. While the Waterbury Development Corporation and Main Street Waterbury are focused on implementation, the WRC is uniquely positioned because of its leadership roles with Main Street Waterbury, and the Waterbury Development Corporation (WDC) to coordinate the strategic planning efforts of these two organizations on behalf of the City. At such time as the Mayor requests the assistance of the Chamber, the Chamber will be prepared to coordinate the strategic plan. The cooperation and full participation of the City will be crucial to this endeavor. This plan will be coordinated with Renaissance Downtown, the preferred developer recently chosen. Specifically the Chamber will: Retain the services of an Economic Development Consultant Continue working with Main Street on the faade program for downtown Continue supporting WDCs efforts on Brownfield remediation especially the $15 million Chase Industrial Commons property 3

Market the economic development opportunities for the Chase Industrial Commons property Work with WDCs consultant on the Cherry Street Brownfield remediation plan Develop and distribute a marketing brochure to showcase the finer attributes of the City Work with existing businesses to retain and/or expand their business Expand the WRCs existing marketing relationship with the City Serve as a resource to the Citys other economic development partners, the Waterbury Development Corporation and Main Street Waterbury Market the City to prospective investors Aggressively seek new business opportunities Market downtown livable city venues, restaurants, market rate housing Help develop plans to expand UConn in downtown Waterbury Work with Renaissance Downtown, the Citys chosen preferred developer to develop a long term development initiative House a satellite office for the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology and support CCAT to help existing manufacturers and attract new ones Support WRC and the Citys vision to create a Green Technology Zone; green jobs for Waterbury. Work with Congressman Murphy and others to find grants and technical support for alternative renewal energy, especially solar, wind and geothermal Encourage the university/colleges in the area to focus curriculum on environmental studies. UConn, University of Bridgeport, Western CT State University, NVCC, Post University Use Rowland Roundtable meetings to get more business people and stakeholders involved in the process Help to attract federal funding to the Waterbury Region, working with Congress Murphys office and CCAT Create a manufacturers expo to provide Waterbury students access to manufacturing as a career Open a full-time office of the CT Small Business Development Center in the WRC to educate and counsel the general public to start and operate a business in Waterbury and the region Work with Loyola Development Corporation on the South End development project 4

Work with the greenways task force to develop the Naugatuck River greenway Develop energy committee for group buying discount for businesses in the City of Waterbury and region

Scope of Work Total Investment $100,000 July 1, 2011 June 30, 2012

You might also like