CEDS - PART IV: THE ACTION PLAN

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03e8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="id125.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Board of Directors"><B>Board of Directors</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meetings"><B>Meetings</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id122.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CEDS"><B>CEDS</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id66.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Scenario Planning"><B>Scenario Planning </B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Task Team"><B>Task Team</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id117.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Regional, State Federal Links Docs"><B>Regional Plans </B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Regional Links NW CT"><B>Links</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ByLaws"><B>By-Laws</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact"><B>Contact</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>CEDS Sponsors:</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id125.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Board of Directors"><I><U>Platinum Sponsor</U></I></A></div> <div> <B>Borghesi Building & Engineering</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><U>Silver Sponsors</U></I></div> <div> <B>Bicron Electronics</B></div> <div> <B>CEDAS</B></div> <div> <I>(CT Econ. 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Assoc.)</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><U>Bronze Sponsors</U></I></div> <div> <B>Parker Productions</B></div> <div> <B>Winvian</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 style=" border-bottom: 1px solid #999980;" BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03f8dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#006600" FACE="Bangle" ><B>Northwest Connecticut Economic Development Corporation</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bangle" ><B> </B></FONT><B>    </B><B>|</B><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bangle" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#006600" FACE="Bangle" ><B> </B><B> </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Northwest Connecticut Economic Developme"><B>home</B></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CEDS May 2004">CEDS - May 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CEDS INTRODUCTION">CEDS - INTRODUCTION</A>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CEDS PART I: COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND">CEDS - PART I: COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT</A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CEDS PART II: ANALYSIS">CEDS - PART II: ANALYSIS</A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CEDS PART III: VISION">CEDS - PART III: VISION</A>   |   <B>CEDS - PART IV: THE ACTION PLAN </B>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CEDS PART V: BENCHMARKING AND EVALUATIO">CEDS - PART V: BENCHMARKING AND EVALUATION</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 width="100%" colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03f8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>CEDS - PART IV: THE ACTION PLAN </I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="778" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 3937 WIDTH="770"><div> <B><U>PART IV: THE ACTION PLAN - “How Do We Get There?”</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Introduction</U></B></div> <div> The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for the Litchfield Hills Region is a multiyear program that includes immediate, intermediate and long-term economic development initiatives of both a regional and project specific nature. These initiatives are tied to the attainment of the Vision for the Region through the expressed Goals and Strategies described above. The CEDS <U>Five Year Regional Action Agenda </U>described below programs 60 specific actions for implementation.</div> <bR> <div> Each recommendation included in the Regional Action Agenda includes a description of recommended actions, required implementation activities, prioritization of action, the assignment of implementation responsibilities and a description of required resources.</div> <bR> <div> For inclusion in the CEDS <U>Five Year Regional Action Agenda</U>, each of the recommended actions needs to address one or more of the five goals described above. Activities recommended for implementation have been organized according to the CEDS goals that they support to facilitate an understanding of their role in the overall Regional approach to improving the Area's economy and quality of life.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>CEDS Action Agenda and Project Selection</U></B></div> <div> In preparing the <U>Five Year Regional Action Agenda</U>, the Regional CEDS Committee considered: the conditions of the area's economy, as described in the Regional Economic Audit; the needs of area residents, as expressed by the Region's chief elected officials and Committee members; the identified strengths and weaknesses of the Region; and the results of the regional CEDS survey of business and institutional leaders and the chief elected officials of the Region's municipalities. The CEDS survey provided a better understanding of the most important needs within the Region and enabled a discussion by the Regional CEDS Committee of the availability of existing and potential resources that could be utilized to improve the Region's economy and the area's quality of life. In addition, the Regional CEDS Committee contacted the Region's municipalities and business community leadership to encourage the submission of economic development initiatives.</div> <bR> <div> The Regional Action Agenda takes into consideration the trends for the area's economy, as discussed above and opportunities to utilize the area's existing labor force, which is well educated and well trained, to support the development of economic activities that are characterized by higher skill levels and higher wage rates.</div> <bR> <div> The activity with the greatest potential to benefit the Region's economy and quality of life over the next five years is the planned revitalization of Downtown Torrington. The CEDS <U>Five Year Regional Action Agenda </U>supports and builds upon the potentials for economic expansion benefiting the entire Region that will result from the implementation of plans for the revitalization of Downtown Torrington.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Prioritization of Programs and Activities</U></B></div> <div> While the overall focus of the Regional Action Agenda is both broad in scope and long range in nature, it contains program and project elements that have the potential for immediate initiation. To maximize available and potential resources to support desired economic development initiatives, the CEDS Partnership Committee prioritized the programs and projects contained in the Regional Action Agenda. </div> <bR> <div> To accomplish this prioritization, the following considerations suggested by the U.S. EDA were applied to proposed Agenda activities to test the merit of their inclusion and support:</div> <bR> <div> - What are the expected benefits of proposed activities?</div> <div> - Which activities address the Region's greatest needs or best enhance the Region's competitive advantages?</div> <div> - Do proposed activities represent the best use of limited resources?</div> <div> - Will proposed activities have positive economic, environmental and social impacts?</div> <bR> <div> In addition to these considerations, the CEDS Partnership Committee reviewed how each suggested project relates to the identified CEDS goals and strategies. In preparing the Five <U>Year Regional Action Agenda, </U>the CEDS Partnership Committee publicly reviewed and discussed all program and project suggestions. A draft of the CEDS Regional Action Agenda was incorporated into the draft CEDS report that was circulated widely throughout the Region for review and comment. The draft CEDS report was also the subject of area news media.</div> <bR> <div> The CEDS <U>Five Year Regional Action Agenda </U>is presented on the following pages. The recommended programs and project activities contained in the Agenda are organized by the Goals and Strategies that they support. Each recommendation includes a description of desired activities, an assignment of the entity with responsibility for implementation as well as any participating partners, an assignment of priority (immediate/ intermediate/long-term), an identification of required resources (staff/funding/materials) and a description of potential sources of funding.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Priority Programs and Projects</U></B></div> <div> Following the preparation of the <U>Five Year Regional Action Agenda, </U>the CEDS Partnership Committee focused on the identification of a limited number of recommended programs and project activities that could provide the significant benefits, have an excellent chance for success given existing and potential resources, and which are ready for implementation.</div> <bR> <div> The regional priority projects identified by the CEDS Partnership Committee are described in the <U>Priority Programs and Project Activities </U>chart that follows the <U>Five Year Regional Action  Agenda. </U>The <U>Priority Programs and Projects Activities </U>chart includes a brief description of the recommended activity, the name of the organization with responsibility for implementation, the estimated cost of the project and sources of funding, the status of the project, how the activity relates to the CEDS Goals, Strategies and their respective priorities, potential environmental impacts and potential jobs to be created or retained. Each of the recommended <U>Priority Program and Project Activities </U>was measured against the U.S. EDA's “Seven Investment Guidelines” and found to be supportive.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><U>PRIORITY PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS </U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Priority #1: </U></B>Regional Program for the Re-Use of Targeted Vacant Industrial Buildings and Facilities.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Description of the Project:</U></B></div> <div> The CEDS analysis process identified the presence of several vacant industrial buildings in the Litchfield Hills Region that were once prominent businesses in their respective communities but today function as blighting influences on the neighborhoods in which they are located. Several of these former industrial uses have been targeted for re-use. These former industrial properties include the former Waring manufacturing building and Executive Greetings in New Hartford, the Lambert-Kay factory building in Winchester and the former PTC Aerospace facilities located on Route 209 in Bantam and others which may be identified as part of a program implementation. In addition, due to the recent closing of Johnnycake/Mountain Meadows Airport in Harwinton and its importance to the Region, this facility is also specifically targeted for re-use.</div> <bR> <div> This program activity proposes to work with the owners of the subject buildings to accomplish the following:</div> <div> - Identification of building and grounds needs, for re-use- (both environmental and structural), Preparation of re-use program and cost estimates,</div> <div> - Determination of best market supported re-use opportunities compatible with Town land use plans and regulations</div> <div> - Preparation and implementation of a marketing program for each building.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Implementation Responsibility:</U></B></div> <div> This program will be administered by the non-profit Northwest Connecticut Economic Development Corporation.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Estimated Cost:</U></B></div> <div> $75,000</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Sources of Funding:</U></B></div> <div> Property Owners and Local Municipalities</div> <div> Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development</div> <div> U.S. EDA- Technical Assistance Grant</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Status/Time Frame:</U></B></div> <div> One Year to realize implementation of marketing programs for each building</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Relationship to Regional CEDS Goals:</U></B></div> <div> Supports implementation of Priority Goal #1 for three of the Region's municipalities </div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Environmental Impact:</U></B></div> <div> Positive outcome expected</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Potential for Job Creation:</U></B></div> <div> 150 Construction Jobs and 250 Permanent Jobs. The re-use alternatives will be targeted towards manufacturing jobs. In the region, wages for these jobs result in incomes less than 80% of the area median income.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Priority #2: </U></B>Regional Program for Brownfield Renewal</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Description of the Project:</U></B></div> <div> Identify Brownfields existing within the Litchfield Hills Region and develop a regional Brownfield renewal program.</div> <bR> <div> The CEDS analysis and inventory of existing conditions identified the lack of data on the presence of Brownfields within the Litchfield Hills Region. Three Connecticut agencies are currently involved in Brownfield remediation and renewal activities and each possess a different listing of Brownfields present with the Litchfield Region and the conditions of those facilities. In addition, there is no coordinated program to bring about the renewal of Brownfields.</div> <bR> <div> This program activity proposes to develop a Regional Brownfields database that: Identifies the location of all Brownfields within the Litchfield Hills Region,</div> <bR> <div> - Preparation of brief site information</div> <div> - Current ownership, previous uses, information relative to known environmental conditions, current zoning, utilities/infrastructure resources</div> <div> - Preparation of re-use program</div> <div> - Determination of best market supported re-use opportunities compatible with Town land use plans and regulations and ownership objectives</div> <div> - Preparation and implementation of a marketing program for each building.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Implementation Responsibility:</U></B></div> <div> This program will be administered by the non-profit Northwest Connecticut Economic Development Corporation.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Estimated Cost:</U></B></div> <div> $50,000</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Sources of Funding:</U></B></div> <div> Property Owners and Local Municipalities</div> <div> Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development</div> <div> U.S. EDA- Technical Assistance Grant</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Status/Time Frame:</U></B></div> <div> One Year to realize implementation of reuse and marketing programs for identified Brownfields <B><U>Relationship to Regional CEDS Goals:</U></B></div> <div> Supports implementation of Immediate Priority for the City of Torrington Municipal Development Project and supports Immediate Priority for Goal to Maintain and Enhance Region's Quality of Life.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Environmental Impact:</U></B></div> <div> Addresses Brownfield environmental issues- positive outcome expected</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Potential for Job Creation:</U></B></div> <div> 50 Construction Jobs and 200 Permanent Jobs. The re-use alternatives will be targeted towards manufacturing jobs. In the region, wages for these jobs result in incomes less than 80% of the area median income.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Priority #3: </U></B>Regional Information Web Site Supporting Economic Development within the Litchfield Hills Region</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Description of the Project:</U></B></div> <div> - Create a Regional Information Database and Web Site</div> <div> - Create a regional information web site with links to the CEDS regional information database and other public and private data sets providing accurate and updated information supporting economic development within the Litchfield Hills Region.</div> <div> - Create an accurate regional information database, and process for keeping it current, for resources available to support economic development activities within the Litchfield Hills Region. The data base would contain the following materials:</div> <div> - Identification of available Buildings and Land:</div> <div> - Location, Size, Special Features, Infrastructure, Permitted Uses, Ownership, Terms for Availability</div> <div> - Regional Financial Resources</div> <div> - Labor Force Information- Availability, Training, Employment Tax Credits , etc..</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Implementation Responsibility:</U></B></div> <div> This program will be administered by the non-profit Northwest Connecticut Economic Development Corporation.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Estimated Cost:</U></B></div> <div> $50,000</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Sources of Funding:</U></B></div> <div> Property Owners and Local Municipalities</div> <div> Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development</div> <div> U.S. EDA- Technical Assistance Grant</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Status/Time Frame:</U></B></div> <div> One year to development of Regional Information Web Site and Regional Information Database </div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Relationship to Regional CEDS Goals:</U></B></div> <div> Supports implementation of Immediate Priority for Goal to Promote the Growth of a Diversified Regional Economy the Expands the Quantity and Improves the Quality of Job Opportunities. </div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Environmental Impact:</U></B></div> <div> No Impact</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Potential for Job Creation:</U></B></div> <div> 2 Program Development Jobs and 2 Permanent Jobs. These are direct jobs. This project will have significant secondary impacts on job creation.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Priority #4: </U></B>Regional Linkage between Job Needs and Excess Regional Labor Force</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Description of the Project:</U></B></div> <div> The CEDS Economic Audit identified the existence of an educated and trained resident labor force within the Litchfield Hills Region that exceeds available job opportunities within the Region by 45%. The recommended response is to create improved linkage between existing and emerging job opportunities with the Region's resident labor force, and to maximize area resources to educate and train the labor force. </div> <bR> <div> <I>Activities include:</I></div> <div> - Identify the educational and training needs of emerging job opportunities;</div> <div> - Create an ongoing process that links job opportunities within the Region with resident labor force resources within the Region;</div> <div> - Create better training programs to provide the unemployed, under-employed and dislocated workers with the skills needed by the Region's existing and emerging businesses;</div> <div> - Work with employers within the Region to identify current and future educational and job skill requirements;</div> <div> - Develop appropriate labor force educational and job training programs utilizing existing regional and State resources;</div> <div> - Market the Region's trained and educated excess resident labor force and the Region's high quality of life to attract new business development and expansion within the Litchfield Hills Region.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Implementation Responsibility:</U></B></div> <div> This program will be administered by the non-profit Northwest Connecticut Economic Development Corporation in close cooperation with the Northwest Connecticut Community College, the Torrington Branch of the University of Connecticut, and the Oliver Wolcott Technical School.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Estimated Cost:</U></B></div> <div> $35,000</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Sources of Funding:</U></B></div> <div> Connecticut Education Dept., Dept. of Labor and DECD</div> <div> U.S. EDA- Technical Assistance Grant- balance</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Status/Time Frame:</U></B></div> <div> One Year</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Relationship to Regional CEDS Goals:</U></B></div> <div> Supports implementation of Immediate Priority for Goal to Promote the Growth of a Diversified Regional Economy that Expands the Quantity and Improves the Quality of Job Opportunities. </div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Environmental Impact:</U></B></div> <div> No Impact</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Potential for Job Creation:</U></B></div> <div> 2 Program Development Jobs and 250 New Permanent Jobs Per Year for program participants.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>