Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • December 14, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 3 Tolland eyes expanded development options in its tech corridor By Greg Bordonaro gbordonaro@hartfordbusiness.com A bout a decade ago Kevin Bouley laid out an ambitious plan to establish a bustling technology corridor in the bucolic town of Tolland that would feed off the synergies of UConn's research and intellectual capital in nearby Storrs. It was an aspirational vision for a town that has fought to keep its ru- ral character and hasn't always been receptive to new or different types of developments. Nearly 10 years later, due to a confluence of factors, Tolland hasn't transformed into a tech hub, but it has become a launching pad for numerous successful startups. And that's mostly thanks to Bou- ley, the CEO of Tolland research and development advisory firm Nerac, who also operates incubator space and a startup mentor/accelerator program called XcellR8 at his firm's One Technology Drive headquarters. Firms that got their start in Tolland with Bouley's help include: Control Station, a Manchester-based data analytics and optimization services provider for the manufac- turing industry; OpenSky, an IT consulting firm once named one of Connecticut's fastest-growing tech companies — it was acquired in 2014 by Germany's TUV Rheinland and gradually relocated to Houston, Texas; and Hartford-based Envi- roPower, which is making environ- mentally-friendly boiler technology and recently raised $1.5 million in venture funding. All three companies outgrew their incubator space and found homes outside of Tolland. It's a fact not lost on Bouley, who has toned down his ambitious vision a bit. "The nature of fostering economic expansion on the combined forces of creativity, innovation and entre- preneurship is still very core to what I support and continue to hope to accomplish," he said. "But my vision has been tempered somewhat by the nature of market realities and the realization it would take prob- ably more than twice as long and require twice as much investment in order for me to make more rapid progress." Tolland isn't likely to become a mini Silicon Valley or Research Tri- angle, but it doesn't mean the town isn't thinking about new develop- ment. In fact, the town's planning and zoning commission, with the help of a top Connecticut-based real estate advisory firm, is working to loosen zoning restrictions within its Technology Campus Zone — where Nerac's headquarters sits — to al- low for broader development. It's a move Bouley said he supports. The area — which encompasses a portion of Merrow Road on Route 195 — has focused on attracting technology, bioscience and research- focused companies, but the town is considering adopting an overlay zone that would allow for more gen- eral development, including mixed- use residential and retail. "My feeling is [the proposed changes] have had a very positive re- ception," said Brian Miller, Tolland's interim director of planning and development. "The goal is flexibility so that the town will be prepared to act on unanticipated businesses and those based upon or in response to the emerging technologies and societal changes." UConn connection Tolland is going through what many Connecticut communities grapple with — a need to grow its grand list to prevent future tax increases on residents, while also wanting to preserve its rural-subur- bia character. About 81%, or $46 million, of Tolland's total budget is funded by property taxes, said Town Manager Michael Rosen. Residential proper- ties make up 78% of the grand list, while commercial and industrial properties make up just 8%. Only about 3% of the town is zoned for commercial development, Rosen said. About 10 to 15 years ago the town realized it needed to encourage more development off its Route 195 corridor, which is the main connec- Up Front Continued on page 4 >> TOWN PROFILE: TOLLAND We use several approaches to attack and prevent airborne pathogens including: advanced filtration, bipolar ionization, or UV-C technology to prevent accumulation of contaminants. NEMSI's IAQ expertise can keep your facility environment cleaner, safer, and more energy-efficient. 860.871.1111 Toll Free: 800.741.6367 nemsi.com MECHANICAL | ELECTRICAL | PLUMBING | SHEET METAL | BUILDING AUTOMATION | FACILITIES SERVICES License #'s: E1-0125666 S1-302974 P1-203519 F1-10498 SM1-192 MC-1134 Indoor Air Quality is Paramount NEMSI helps keep YOUR facility cleaner and safer. Kevin Bouley leads Tolland tech company Nerac. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED

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