The
Fairfield County Economic Integration Initiative
One Coast, One Future
is a consortium formed by the Bridgeport
Regional Business Council and The
Business Council of Fairfield County. The initiative
seeks to spark new and renewed economic growth, job creation
and individual economic opportunity by linking the Coastal
Fairfield County region’s business centers in a new
and stronger alliance for their mutual benefit. One
Coast, One Future is funded by nearly a $1
million federal grant procured by Congressman Shays.
The interdependency of Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk is
based upon infrastructure, commutation patterns, housing cost
differentials, employment trends, communication, Long Island
Sound coastal locations, and shared health care providers,
higher education institutions, and transportation services.
The combined region is statistically among the wealthiest
in the country, yet prosperity is distributed unevenly and
local economic vitality varies widely.
One Coast, One Future’s
first step will be to create joint work teams to address known
challenges by:
- integrating existing “sub-regional” plans
and visions;
- mapping economic, technological, workforce and other assets;
and
- adopting a common strategy to implement specific growth
initiatives.
This regional approach will not obstruct any of the partners
from building up its own municipal development assets, but
rather will complement that development.
One Coast, One Future’s
long-term plan consists of six key objectives including a
Comprehensive Economic Development plan; development of a
marketing campaign focused on development and housing opportunities;
development of a marketing campaign focused on cultural and
entertainment opportunities; creating a growth strategy for
jobs in healthcare; linking employer needs with available
employee skills through a JobsNet; and creating a WI-FI network
in city centers.
One Plan:
Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
The region’s municipal Chief Elected Officials, economic
development directors, Chamber of Commerce executives and
regional planning agencies will be part of a network which
convenes regularly for one year to build a Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategy encompassing the Greater Bridgeport and
Southwestern planning regions, and with the aid of a consultant,
assemble economic data on regional connectivity.
One
Marketing Campaign: Development and Housing Opportunities
Currently the Coastal region’s economic strength is
concentrated at the western end, creating commuting and housing
patterns that cause congestion and limit the entire region’s
ability to grow. By marketing available development sites
and transit-centered housing opportunities at the eastern
end of the region, congestion will be lessened, commute patterns
reversed, and a regional balance achieved. In addition, marketing
available sites at the western end of the region will in-fill
economic opportunity.
One Coast, One Future’s
marketing efforts will include the development of:
- a guide to available commercial and industrial sites,
including Bridgeport site development opportunities, Norwalk’s
planned mixed-use public-private partnerships, and existing
vacant Stamford office capacity;
- guides to transit-centered housing opportunities for
Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford; and
- a Coastal Corridor Development Map.
One Marketing
Campaign: Culture and Entertainment Activity
To connect economic and housing opportunities between the
three major urban centers, we must foster an interchange of
people. In other words, people residing and working in Stamford
need to be encouraged to visit Bridgeport’s and Norwalk’s
burgeoning cultural and restaurant attractions, and vice versa.
One Coast, One Future
will:
- convene regional arts, entertainment and tourism cluster
meetings;
- develop an analytical survey of regional attractions and
restaurants;
- produce marketing materials for cross-regional restaurant
and attraction marketing; and
- create a One Coast region Restaurant/Attraction website.
One Growth
Strategy: Health Care Cluster Initiative
Shays launched the One Coast, One Future Health
Care Initiative at Norwalk Hospital with Chris Bruhl, President
and CEO of the Business Council of Fairfield County; Mary
Franco, Vice President of Public Affairs at Norwalk Hospital
and President of the Norwalk Hospital Foundation; Paul Milton,
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Norwalk Hospital;
Norwalk Mayor Dick Moccia; Dr. Michael Marks, Chief of the
Medical Staff at Norwalk Hospital; and Paul Timpanelli, President
and CEO of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council.
As aging, affluent baby boomers – a disproportionately
large share of the region’s population compared to national
averages – age, demand for health and fitness and related
services and products will rise. At the same time, the rapidly
growing immigrant population, which is 25-30% of the populations
of Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford, will need family- and
child-centered health care and may be less able to pay for
it.
The One Coast, One Future
Health Care Cluster Initiative will develop a strategy to
convert this challenge into job and entrepreneurial opportunities
for the region’s for-profit and non-profit entities
by:
- gathering and analyzing demographic data to identify emerging
and future needs, and determining the region’s capacity
to meet these needs;
- creating a strategic plan to determine opportunities
for job creation, business formation and expansion, housing
development (for medical and fitness professionals and assisted
living options) and higher education program expansion;
and
- assisting all three cities in considering the health
care industry’s growth in their formal planning for
sustainable economic development.
One Labor
Force: JobsNet
The region simultaneously faces a labor shortage and unemployment
because much of the workforce does not fit neatly into the
available positions due to low awareness of opportunities,
a lack of mobility, municipally-focused support networks (such
as community-based organizations, libraries and adult education
programs) and a skills mismatch. Training and education opportunities
need to be tailored to entry proficiency and upward mobility.
One Coast, One Future’s
JobsNet initiative will link resources and opportunities to
needs by:
- creating a council of employers;
- training providers, educational institutions, constituent
services organizations, and relevant public agencies to
help employers recruit, train and retain employees;
- developing a Employer's Guide to Labor Force Resources
(print and online);
- producing a Directory of Training Providers (English
and Spanish, print and online); and
- creating an "Opportunities" newsletter (English
and Spanish) to community-based organizations, libraries
and media.
Click here
to read about JobsNet initiative.
One Regional
Web: WI-FI Initiative
Free public and private WI-FI hotspots are being set up throughout
the country in an effort to create user-friendly public spaces,
establish a contemporary sense of community and to position
parks, buildings, neighborhoods and municipalities as cutting
edge locations.
One Coast, One Future
will create and link WI-FI hotspots in Bridgeport, Norwalk
and Stamford. Individuals logging on in any of the three locations
will find a single brand portal to enable seamless connectivity
between housing and employment centers in the coastal region.
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