Economic Development

Regional CEDS - "ACT GREATER HARTFORD"

Every five years, a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, or CEDS, is required to be prepared and updated. When CRCOG’s last CEDS plan was published in 2019, projections anticipated a period of growth, with a strong insurance and financial sector, resurgent advanced manufacturing, emerging biotech and other strengths. The COVID-19 pandemic upended the global economy in unexpected ways, forcing both governments and businesses to shift their focus to reconfigure ways for businesses operate and recruit workers, households to adjust to sudden job losses (and gains) and adapt to a new normal.  

In June 2022, CRCOG began working with Camoin Associates and various partner organizations to update the CEDS for 2024-2029. We recognized recovery from the economic disaster of a pandemic required more than strategies and a plan, but also specific actions and committed partners to implement the strategies identified. ACT Greater Hartford – A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Growth and Equity in the Capitol Region is the result. 

Construction at New Britain roundabout

Summary of CEDS Goals & Initiatives

GOAL 1 Adapt the physical environment to meet current and future needs 

  1. Focus on adaptive reuse of buildings in urban and suburban core areas
  2. Reshape the regional housing market
  3. Advance RiverLink and related East Coast Greenway projects

GOAL 2 Break down barriers for entrepreneurs and small businesses 

  1. Take the pulse of the entrepreneurial ecosystem
  2. Grow youth entrepreneurship opportunities
  3. Create a front door to the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem
  4. Expand access to capital for entrepreneurs and small businesses

GOAL 3 Hyperfocus on existing businesses 

  1. Significantly expand business retention and expansion (BRE) efforts
  2. Prioritize investment into training and retaining the future workforce
  3. Support industry-led workforce development efforts for business-driven outcomes
  4. Establish consistent messaging that is regionally shared
  5. Launch a ‘smart’ data-driven talent attraction campaign
  6. Focus business attraction on emerging opportunities

GOAL 4 Create equitable economic opportunity 

  1. Embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) regionally
  2. Take a collaborative, place-based, neighborhood-scale approach to development
  3. Fix the broken rung to advance women and underrepresented employees into more senior roles

GOAL 5 Restructure the CEDS implementation framework

  1. Restructure the CEDS Implementation Committee
  2. Procure multi-year funding to hire an experienced executive

Partners

We would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their support in the preparation of the Capital Region Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS): 

  • Ron Angelo, Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology 

  • Chip Beckett, Small Business Owner  

  • Jim Boucher, Capital Workforce Partners

  • Sean Bradbury, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities

  • Joe Budd, Connecticut Business Industry Association

  • Leslie Francione, Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology

  • Jennifer Gifford, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut

  • Eric Gjede, Connecticut Business Industry Association

  • Elysa Gordon, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

  • Kristen Gorski, Town of West Hartford

  • David Griggs, MetroHartford Alliance

  • David Hopkins, Urban League

  • Jim Horan, LISC

  • Jackie Mandyck, The iQuilt Partnership

  • Patrick McMahon, Town of Windsor

  • Lisa Mercurio, AdvanceCT

  • Ony Obiocha, CTNext

  • Eric Trott, Town of Coventry

  • Jen Widness, Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges (CCIC)

  • Jay Williams, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

  • Tom Yelich, Trinity College

Reports

The final draft of Act Greater Hartford is now available. This document, produced by CRCOG, the MetroHartford Alliance, and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving provides an overview of the report as well as a snapshot of the region. It will be updated annually.

 

The final version of the Metro Hartford Future Project report has been published. You can find the final document below, which includes a new section detailing comments received during the public comment period. The full text of written comments we received is available from Maureen Goulet.

Previous Plan

  • Metro Harford Future Report 2019 (Final)
  • Metro Hartford Future: Appendix 2019
  • Metro Hartford Future CEDS 2020 Annual Report
  • Metro Hartford Future CEDS 2021 Annual Report
  • CRCOG Long Range Transportation Plan 2015
  • CRCOG Plan of Conservation and Development 2014

2012 MetroHartford CEDS

  • MetroHartford CEDS Initiatives and Action Steps
  • MetroHartford CEDS Trend Analysis
  • MetroHartford CEDS Industry Analysis

2006 MetroHartford CEDS

  • MetroHartford CEDS Strategy
  • MetroHartford CEDS Regional Assessment

Additional Resources

  • The Downtown Hartford Economic and Urban Design Action Strategy
  • The MetroHartford Millennium Project
  • 2011 Central Connecticut CEDS
  • One Region, One Future: An Action Agenda for a Connected, Competitive, Vibrant, Green Knowledge Corridor
  • Metro Hartford Progress Points 2016
  • Metro Hartford Progress Points 2015
  • Metro Hartford Progress Points 2014
  • Progress Points 2016 Data (Excel)
  • Connecticut Strategic Economic Framework (1999) - Connecticut Regional Institute for the 21st Century