[GrotonMan]

This thread is for those of us here in Southeastern CT to post about what kind of development we want to see in the our towns, and the area at large.

Questions to ponder:
What lots are being developed that you are excited/not excited about?
What lots do you want to see developed and how?
What overall developments and improvements do we need here to make us more viable as a developmental region heading into this new century?
And of the three major populations centers (New London, 26,000; Norwich, 34,000; Groton, 40,000) Which one(s) do you think have the greatest potential of emerging as the dominant center of the area and carry us through this new technological era and what role would your town play in that?



Personally, I am excited about some of the development currently happening over in New London with the new condos going up, as well as all of the current and planned upgrades to Bank street. There isn't really too much going on here in Groton right now, although I have read the City's plan of conservation and development, and they are heading in a good direction. I would really love to see the five corners, Mitchell st, Thames st areas come alive with more mixed use development and shopping. Also the huge parking lots out front of EB be developed into research/office/green space.
I think Groton and New London have the best chance of emerging as the urban center of the region if they work together, with Groton being more of a research and administrative hub, and New London being more of a cultural and entertainment hub with more history, both working in tandem as kind of a twin cities situation.

[GrotonMan]

Even if you aren't from Southeastern Connecticut, but you still have some thoughts about this definitely feel free to post. I would personally love to have a more clear idea of how people from outside the area see things here and what kind of interest they might have. I think you guys already have decent sized cities, so you already know what kind of stuff works and doesn't work. If you have any thoughts or ideas we would love to hear them.

[GrotonMan]

anybody?

[Rich Lee]

I've never been able to put my finger on it, but we don't hear much from/about Windham or New London County on this forum even though they represent 11 percent of Connecticut's population.

[ctcoldplay11]

I think Colchester and East Lyme are the most up-and-coming towns in Southeastern Connecticut, and will probably rival the Hartford suburbs in the years to come. As for the city that will lead this part of Connecticut into the future, I'm going to have to give it up to Norwich. I think it has alot going for it, and I'm kind of excited to see what it will offer in the years to come.

All in all, I think Eastern Connecticut largely is just being noticed. It's sweeping beauty, and low-key lifestyle I think is going to propel it into Connecticut's limelight in the years to come. While parts of Western Connecticut are probably going to head into decline, Eastern Connecticut will fare a bit better. We'll see!

[GrotonMan]

Good points. I definitely see East Lyme springing up. I haven't really had an opportunity to get up and around Colchester too much to see whats been happening, but I've heard a lot about it on this forum, and it sounds like a lot is happening up there.

I think Norwich has a lot going for it as well, but I think that the infrastructure that is already in place further south on the Thames (the airport, the train station, the ferry service, the state pier and easy access to I-95) housing at least three major national/international employers in Pfizer, EB, the submarine base, as well as five colleges and universities, put the lower Thames Valley at a greater advantage. I think it comes down to who acts first and most wisely; and can draw good, sustainable development in.

I definitely agree though, that eastern CT is just beginning to get noticed, and that if, and ONLY if, we can manage to diversify our economy beyond our current mainstays of defense and tourism, we will see a major propulsion of eastern CT into not just a CT spotlight, but a New England, and possibly even national, spotlight as well.

I'm pretty excited about the opportunities that SECT has to begin to grow; and, having seen many many other areas of the country experience unprecedented growth and similarly unprecedented damage from this recession, gird ourselves appropriately to prevent such volatility in our own market. Let's see what happens!

[ctcoldplay11]

I didn't even think about all that the Thames River area really has! You are totally right, New London/Groton have the abilities to transform possibly into like a Stamford of sorts. I just think Norwich can turn into a nice little city, maybe like West Hartford-esque? Definitely, New London/Groton can turn into major cities. Southeastern Connecticut truly is at a crossroads, as it has SO many opportunities for future growth. I think with smart leadership and government, this area of Connecticut can be a New England power! Let's hope Grotonman!

[GrotonMan]

I do like a lot of the historic architecture and feel that much of Norwich has, I am all about modern development and not being simply stuck on the history of a city (don't get me wrong, I think much ought to be preserved and passed on) but everytime I drive through the downtown of Norwich, I think, "man there is so much heritage here, decent people couldn't possibly be okay with anybody leveling most of this and replacing it." The same goes for portions of downtown New London as well.

On that subject of focusing on a towns past. I am admittedly quite a history buff, (I love watching the History Channel personally) and I think that the propitiation of historical facts ought to be a priority amongst leaders, however, ironically enough, in our zeal to do just that here in eastern CT we, ignoring our most recent state history and trying so fervently to protect our own, have begun to urge young creative types away from our communities. I very much support the preservation of existing downtowns, such as the historical areas of New London, Norwich and Mystic, however I think that in order for us to truly move forward in this new global economy, we have to begin to attract, the older, more experienced demographic as well as the young creative one. The beauty I see in the Groton-New London pairing is that New London already has a historic, once-again-beginning-to-thrive downtown, complete with as many historical structures and neighborhoods; while Groton, just across the river, has a couple of beautiful historic districts, but right in the center of the population, there is a vast amount of open developable space. In the city in particular, it comes in the form of massive parking lots for EB, just a short distance from the water. A perfect location for the introduction of a central business district, with just about all of the resources needed to see it thrive.

I think it is a great tandem, with Groton being more based on new economies and New London being based out of its firm and stable historical downtown providing culture. It's a gem waiting to be truly discovered.

[maggie88]

Hi,

In reading many of the threads here for a possible move to CT within the next year or so, it seems like this area of CT is where to focus.

Of all of these areas of SE CT, Groton, Norwich, Madison.... etc. What would you suggest for a couple of empty-nesters, 22 year old-daughter off on her own now, we both previously lived in NYC in our 20's, we live in Twin Cities now which is it's own midwest mecca of culture but we're both from the northeast and want to be near our families, both self-employed, I'm now out of corporate and train dogs full time..... we love art, restaurants, beach. We definitely do not care for pretention but love beauty so have to have that.

Any suggestions from the experts here

Maggie88

[maggie88]

ps -- sorry I realized I might have posted this question on the wrong thread but found this conversation fascinating and good info for my research.