Lamont launches tours of region
Governor-elect sees economic development leader in southeastern corner of Connecticut
Gov.- elect Ned Lamont launched a series of strategic economic development tours Friday with a visit to Connecticut’s southeastern corner, saying the region exemplifies the state’s potential for growth.
Lamont and Lt. Gov.-elect Susan Bysiewicz, along with the region’s state l egislative delegation, met with business, labor, education and municipal leaders, as well as representatives of the tribal casinos and regional economic development boards.
Southeastern Connecticut has been dominating the state’s economic development headlines with a major job expansion planned at the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, a surging public-private manufacturing training and job placement program, and the nation’s largest offshore wind farm under development 50 miles into the Atlantic.
But Lamont, who is planning several economic development stops as part of his transition into office, said it wasn’t the region’s recent successes that led him there first.
“It really was a question of attitude as well,” Lamont said at a midday briefing at The Garde Arts Center in New London. “This state has so many extraordinary advantages and we need people who talk about the strengths of our state.”
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced $85 million in state incentives in May to help Electric Boat add 1,900 workers and expand its submarine-building shipyard over the better part of the next two decades.
The General Assembly endorsed $50 million in bonding for a “manufacturing pipeline” i nitiative t hat l i nks state community colleges and trade schools with EB and other advanced manufacturers.
This j ob t raining and placement program already has found jobs for more than 1,000 participants.
The Long Island Power Authority gave the green light last year to the development of an offshore wind farm stretching from the eastern tip of Long Island to Martha’s Vineyard — placing New London in the center.
The largest tourism draw — both for the region and the state — are the Foxwoods Resorts Casino and the Mohegan Sun casino. Both facilities have seen their gaming revenue decline in recent years in the face of increased competition from new casinos in neighboring states.
But while he didn’t offer many specifics, the governor-elect said that his economic development plans for the region and the state absolutely i nclude t he Mashantucket Pequot tribe — which owns and operates Foxwoods — and the Mohegan tribe and its casino.