Developing New Businesses and Cleaning Up Buildings

The Economic Development Commission, responsible for promoting new business opportunities in North Haven in addition to overseeing existing businesses in town, moved ahead on both fronts at its meeting this morning at Town Hall.

The commission has arranged a brokers event for 297 State Street, arranged to participate in a state program that will supervise business visits, and will participate in town efforts to enforce a blight ordinance taking effect in September.

Commission chairman Richard LoPresti said the brokers event at 297 State Street will take place September 15 from 11:30 to 2:00.

He also said the Commission will meet tomorrow with the Regional Economic Acceleration organization, a consortium that arranges meetings with businesses seeking to relocate to Connecticut towns.

He hopes the organization will make a special effort to help North Haven, which lacks an economic development coordinator like most other towns in the state. The organization would help North Haven arrange and conduct meetings with prospective businesses that may be interested in acquiring 297 State Street or other properties.

The Show and Sell program, slated for October 15, is currently looking for sponsors. A lead sponsor, two secondary sponsors, and a group of additional sponsors will be sought from a list of North Haven businesses.

Discussion then turned to the anti-blight ordinance, and the Commission's participation in town-wide enforcement efforts. The Planning & Zoning Commission has already expressed interest in the measure, but LoPresti wants the Economic Development Commission to play a role as well.

"It is our business because it affects economic development," he said. "We want to be partners with Planning & Zoning, we don't want to butt heads down the road."

First Selectman Michael Freda reported on new business opportunities in town, but warned against assuming they will lead to new tenants and growth on the grand list.

"There are so many works in progress but in this business there are more failures than successes," he said.

He added that he would be hesitant about discussing prospective businesses in the future because too often, Freda contended, it leads to assumptions that the businesses will open. The First Selectman concluded, however, that there will be lots of new business developments in town within eighteen months to two years.