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Politics & Government

Despite Lagging Economy, Town Continues to Attract Business Expansion

Several New Merchants plan ribbon cuttings.

Economic development in Hamden, like other towns, is slow but moving at a steady pace, according to town officials.

Challenges include requests from businesses for help, a decreasing budget and continuing pension fund problems, along with a few incentive loans either in arrears or in default, according to officials.

But despite those challenges, Hamden continues to grow.

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on Whitney Avenue is one of the more significant projects, with a half-million dollar project will add a second floor and an additional 10 rooms to the existing facility. The project was approved with three years of tax incentives and a reduction of permit fees to help defray costs. A few new jobs will be created and increased business to the area is expected.

Several new businesses are having ribbon cutting ceremonies in May and June, including , located at 1774 Dixwell Ave., Highwood Square, located near the Keefe Center and Forever Memories bridal store, at 1684 Dixwell Ave., are among the new merchants.

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There also are plans to widen the driveway and road of the Staples shopping center on Dixwell Avenue to create a better entry and exit and to add  tenants to the center. According to Economic Development Director Dale Kroop, there are several other sites in Hamden that have attracted new merchants to the area that also will provide more growth.

Hamden is still a desirable area to have a business, Kroop said, because of its proximity of I-91 and I-95 and the Wilbur Cross Parkway. The details on several of the projects are not finalized at this time, he said, and more information will follow.

“The Spanish speaking community is a big growth area and needs to be looked at closely,” Kroop said.

He would like to have brochures translated in to Spanish to attract the Latino business community, Kroop said. The Town would like to form an alliance with the Spanish American Merchants Association (SAMA) to help with translators and creating materials, he said.

A full time Quinnipiac student intern will be joining the Economic Development in a few weeks to help the department with research, Kroop said. The intern will help conducting research on the monetary advantages of giving incentive loans and what is the return on that investment, he said, as well as a study on the impact on the tax base in a town with many churches.

The intern also will help with several other studies that they normally wouldn’t have time to conduct, Kroop said. The town needs to look at all areas to see which are more financially feasible and eliminate those that are a financial drain, he said.

 

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