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n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m | J u n e 2 0 2 2 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 11 EXECUTIVE AUTO GROUP FIAT | WALLINGFORD, CT NUMET | ORANGE, CT CORNERSTONE CHURCH | CHESHIRE, CT PARTYKA MAZDA | HAMDEN, CT TD BANK | WALLINGFORD, CT Building For Your Success Retail • Industrial • Commercial • Institutional • Education • Healthcare • Religious PDS Engineering & Construction has been meeting the needs of the construction industry since 1965. Our dedicated team of design and construction professionals welcomes the challenge of serving its past and future customers on their most demanding projects. THINK • PLAN • BUILD 107 Old Windsor Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002 | 860.242.8586 | pdsec.com PDS Engineering & Construction has been meeting the needs of the construction industry since 1965. Our dedicated team of design and construction professionals welcomes the challenge of serving its past and future customers on their most demanding projects. GENERAL Land area (sq. miles) 39 Median age 47.4 Population 44,396 Median household income $80,793 Unemployment rate 3.2% MAJOR EMPLOYERS • Town of Wallingford • Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield • Masonicare • Gaylord Hospital • Community Health Network of CT Inc. GOVERNMENT Total revenue (2018) $176,274,000 Per capita tax $2,713 Mill rate 28.52 Grand List $4,273,368,196 HOUSING STOCK Median home value $267,800 Median rent $1,094 ECONOMY Top employment industries Employers Employment Avg. Wage Health Care & Social Assistance 4,671 141 $48,376 Manufacturing 3,455 103 $81,736 Retail Trade 2,872 154 $37,806 Source: AdvanceCT Town Profile: Wallingford treatment facility later this year, said Senior Vice President of Facility Development Peter Carbone. e company, whose partners in the project are Hartford HealthCare and Yale New Haven Health, builds and operates proton radiation centers, a relatively new type of radiation therapy that does less damage to the body than traditional radiation, Carbone said. e 28,000-square-foot, two-story property will be the first proton radiation center in the state, he said. While inexpensive electricity was a factor, it was Wallingford's central location along with the cooperative attitude of town officials that sealed the deal, Carbone said. "e biggest factor by far was being halfway between New Haven and Hartford," he said. "It just makes sense from the perspective of Hartford HealthCare as well as the perspective of Yale New Haven." Meantime, Ryan, who is retiring from his position in June, said the town isn't sitting on its laurels. His next big project is leveraging Wallingford's lower power costs and location to entice data centers into town. e oodles of servers used by such centers could translate into a tax windfall for Wallingford, he said. "ink a big-box store full of computer servers at very high value," he said. Connecticut in 2020 passed a law providing incentives to data center operators, but the industry hasn't yet germinated in the state. Some facilities would likely engage in Bitcoin mining, but that's just one part of the growing demand for data centers, Ryan said. "e market is being driven by our insatiable appetite for data," Ryan said. "It's 5G. It's the driverless car. It's that data needs to move faster. It can never be fast enough." Transit-oriented development Dickinson and Ryan pointed to other factors that make the town attractive to business, including a low tax rate (28.52 mills), excellent schools and a vibrant parks and recreation program. e town also has a vibrant downtown and ample housing stock, they said. Another plus is the new train station on North Cherry Street built as part of the state's push for transit- oriented development, Dickinson said. Transit-oriented development seeks to concentrate housing, retail and jobs around transit hubs, reducing sprawl and carbon emissions. As envisioned, the project inspired construction of about 200 apartments next door, he said. Moving forward, the town plans to maintain and build on its economic diversity, while husbanding its traditional industries. "I generally would see it as healthy to have a diversified portfolio with a variety of businesses," Dickinson said. "It avoids some of the ups and downs." All of this gives Wallingford something extra to cheer about as the community gears up to celebrate its 350th anniversary in June. e festivities, which include a week of events and a gala ball, were supposed to take place two years ago — the town was founded in 1670 — but delayed due to COVID-19, Dickinson said. "We're still celebrating the 350th," he said. n Tim Ryan, Wallingford's longtime economic development specialist, is retiring in June.

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