Wanted – Department Store; Business Development – Mayor Melody Currey has aggressively reached out to major and national department store chains and other popular retail outlets to consider opening storefronts in East Hartford. We have witnessed some growth in this area and there will be more to come. Mayor Melody’s actions have greatly increased East Hartford’s business ventures and development. In addition, the Mayor has utilized Cabelas as a catalyst to jump start economic development on the Silver Lane and Main Street corridors. Look for some exciting announcements in the near future.

New business ventures will directly increase our GRAND LIST (Tax Base), quality of life and increase job opportunities.

A Positive Business Environment: The Key to East Hartford’s Success – Mayor Melody Currey has set the goal to continue to build upon economic development in East Hartford. It is imperative to attract and retain quality businesses in East Hartford through well-organized, aggressive and capable deliveries of our promises.

Recent Successes:

• Connecticut Boulevard Redevelopment
• New Firehouse on Brewer Street
• Hoffman Ford
• Gengras Development
• Community Health Center
• Save A Lot
• Goodwin College proposed Riverfront Campus utilizing abandoned tank farms
• First Merchant development on Main Street/Conn. Blvd.
• Brook’s Drugs Store on Burnside Avenue
• Rentschler Field development
• Cabelas
• East Hartford Boulevard South Development

Management of departments with land use.
Encourage professionalism, creativity and collaboration. Assure property owners and business owners that the land usage process will be fair, objective and efficient.

Expedite the permit process. When Mayor Melody took office it was taking up to six months or more to obtain permits. Now many simple ones are handed back to you while you stand at the counter in as little as 10 minutes.

Use Mayor’s office to promote interest in East Hartford to responsible developers and business owners.
As Chief Executive officer of the town, the Mayor must be the town’s strongest Pro-Business advocate.

The Mayor must be able to work through problems and achieve compromise when needed.

Insist on land use culture that encourages the following elements:

• Good design
• High quality land use planning will be a non-negotiable condition of developing land in the community.
• Respect for environment
• Open space preservation must be a part of each site design.
• Quality transportation planning
• Traffic planning cannot jeopardize residential neighborhoods.
• Respect for the community

Maximize public input in major project developments.
Encourage owners/developers to meet with neighborhoods BEFORE finalizing development plans.

Insist that those businesses that want to locate to East Hartford demonstrate a long-term commitment to their new home and neighbors.

All new businesses must pay their “fair share”.
The community cannot be expected to fund projects through tax breaks, but should be willing to offer incentives that would make a business chose East Hartford over our competition.

The Mayor will work with the Town Council to scrutinize the cost and benefits of any future proposal to abate taxes, along with seeking maximum public input in the process.