Willimantic
CERC, along with a group of partner organizations, approached town of Windham officials and stakeholders in the fall of 2003 with a proposal to offer an action plan for the development of downtown Willimantic.
Description:
A collection of top economic development organizations in the state, led by CERC, joined forces to create the Community Economic Development Assistance Team (informally called CEDAT) in support of providing comprehensive planning and assistance to Connecticut towns. The organizations, which include CERC, CEDF (Community Economic Development Fund), CMS (Connecticut Main Street), YUDW (Yale Urban Design Workshop) and DECD (Department of Economic and Community Development), approached town of Windham officials and stakeholders in the fall of 2003 with a proposal to offer an action plan for the development of downtown Willimantic. The proposal included the identification of funding partners that were willing to support the project - CL&P and SBC both pledged funds for the project, which were matched by the town. CERC was the lead organization in coordinating the efforts of the CEDAT members to develop an action plan.
Issues:
Willimantic and the surrounding town of Windham have been adversely impacted by economic changes over the past several decades. Once a thriving manufacturing center, Willimantic's industry base has eroded due to changes in technology, markets, and the physical and locational needs of industry. This has led to a general economic decline of the community and corresponding social problems. In spite of these challenges, the community has important assets that can be utilized for economic development. Windham Mills, a historic industrial complex, has been redeveloped as a modern business location. The downtown area contains the historic architecture and the "Main Street" physical characteristics that many communities are trying to duplicate. Willimantic is the home of Eastern Connecticut State University and close to the University of Connecticut - institutions that have received several hundred million dollars in physical investment by the state of Connecticut in recent years. This, combined with the renewed attention and the will of local leaders, has made this an opportune time for the town to step up its economic development efforts. The lack of consensus of an agreed upon vision has been a limiting factor in the promotion of economic development. CEDAT determined that what was needed was the formulation and acceptance of an action strategy that the town could immediately begin to implement.
Deliverables:
The project began with a meeting of the stakeholders (representatives of the public and private sector) and a thorough review of the literature to date, which included a recent regional CEDS project, a market research planning study, a design study and a parking study. After becoming familiar with the local players and issues, two in-depth SWOT analyses were conducted with representatives from businesses, academics, arts, government and neighborhood communities. These sessions gave participants an opportunity to voice their concerns and identify unique assets that the town can build on. The issues that were raised in the SWOT analysis and the stakeholder meetings, together with the review of literature, gave CEDAT the necessary insights to organize the findings into broad categories and to develop a series of recommendations. The goal was to provide the town with a blueprint from which to begin immediate action. The report details next steps and provide an organizational framework for the town to consider in moving aggressively ahead on a comprehensive economic development program.
Outcomes:
The final plan has been presented to the town for acceptance, and is pending next steps. However, the town has already begun acting on the recommendations in an effort to strengthen its economic development program.