Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 2, 2026 21 By Matt Fleury N ow pending auction, the 1960s-era Constitution Plaza in downtown Hartford is at once a subject of concern and a source of possibility. There's a way to replace the risk of failing real estate with new uses that unlock the potential of surrounding assets and move Hartford forward. The Connecticut Science Center, Connecticut Conven- tion Center and the riverfront parks attract more than 1 million people each year, while an equal number attend games and events at the reno- vated PeoplesBank Arena and Dunkin' Park to our west. Yet, too few of these visitors find their way across downtown from one destination to the other, leaving our best assets isolated and downtown less competitive as a place to enjoy, convene, learn, work and live. This is a moment to think big. B y the time Connecticut voters finish casting their ballots Tuesday, either Ned Lamont or Ryan Fazio will have earned the opportunity to lead this state for the next four years. Whoever wins will have heard plenty about what resi- dents and businesses want: a Connecticut they can afford. The candidates offered different approaches during interviews with Hart- ford Business Journal. Lamont empha- sized the state's stronger finances and investments made during his adminis- tration. Fazio argued that Connecticut remains too expensive and needs a change in direction. The next governor should take both arguments seriously. Fiscal stability matters. So does whether employers can afford to expand here and workers can afford to stay. Here are five priorities for the next administration. First, protect the fiscal progress. Connecticut has worked too hard to improve its finances to slip back into the cycle of deficits and uncer- tainty that undermined confidence in state government. Maintain the fiscal guardrails as much as possible, keep spending under control and continue paying down pension obligations. There will always be worthy requests for more funding. Tax relief deserves consideration, too. But both require an explanation of how we pay for them beyond the next budget. Second, make energy affordability a governing priority. Employers and households need a practical plan addressing power supply, reliability and the charges on electric bills, with realistic expec- tations about how much relief is possible and when it might arrive. That requires an honest assess- ment of Connecticut's clean energy goals. Can we meet them on the current schedule? At what cost? Are ratepayers getting enough value for what they are being asked to spend? Those questions deserve answers without turning the discussion into a fight over whether someone supports clean energy. The next governor should also pursue ways to bring more natural gas into New England. Explain what additional capacity would require, who would pay and how Connecticut can work with neighboring states to get it done. Third, make regulatory reform a serious economic development strategy. Before offering another subsidy or grant program, consider whether a business simply needs a timely decision. Businesses and developers need clear requirements, predictable review timelines and answers they can plan around. The next governor should make those expectations a priority across state government. Some improvements may require better staffing or technology. But making government easier to navigate could improve competitiveness without another large incentive package. Housing approvals deserve the same attention. The next governor should work with municipalities to simplify approvals and remove unnec- essary barriers to construction. We can't keep calling for more housing while accepting a process that makes it harder to build. Fourth, help employers find the workers they need. Expand apprenticeships, strengthen vocational education and make it easier for qualified professionals licensed elsewhere to work here. Judge training programs by whether participants land jobs in the fields they trained for. Finally, make a real attempt at healthcare affordability. Hospitals, insurers, physicians, employers and patients all need a seat at the table. Connecticut should allow association health plans with appropriate consumer protections and examine other options for smaller businesses. Lamont also owes the public more detail about his proposed Connecticut Option. How would it save money? What would providers be paid? Who covers the difference if expenses exceed projections? We should understand those answers before putting taxpayers on the financial hook. None of these issues will be resolved by one election. But the next governor can establish clear priorities, explain the trade-offs and report progress. Four years from now, employers and residents should be able to point to specific ways Connecticut became more affordable and a better place to grow a business. EDITOR'S TAKE Five priorities for Connecticut's next governor Opinion & Commentary OTHER VOICES Revitalizing Constitution Plaza can bring downtown Hartford together Matt Fleury Constitution Plaza, where Connecticut residents once gathered for holiday festivals, has handsome buildings and plaza spaces that can be revitalized to complement their newer surroundings rather than compromise them. Repurposed for hotel rooms, one tower would help the Convention Center compete for multiday confer- ences and the significant economic benefits they bring, capitalizing on the recent expansion of Bradley International Airport. Apartments, in high demand downtown, could occupy other buildings within the complex. Perhaps this is the time to build on the longstanding UConn School of Business campus at Constitu- tion Plaza with an expansion and a stronger plaza-level presence. CT State Community College students might benefit from updated class- rooms around the tailor-made academic quad at the north end of the plaza, with its original clock tower. These educational institutions would accelerate Hartford's prog- ress as a college town and form the northern anchor of a connected learning campus stretching south to UConn Hartford at Front Street, recently enhanced by the addition of Carbone's restaurant. Amplified and co-located in this way, higher education is more than a placemaking strategy. It is a step- pingstone to careers with surrounding employers, fueled by existing feeders such as the Science Center, Covenant Prep School and, soon, Junior Achieve- ment's JA BizTown and the recently announced Hartford Innovation Center for applied artificial intelligence at State House Square. Imagine this ecosystem at the center of our Capital City. To be sure, rehabilitating Consti- tution Plaza will require significant capital, likely from both private investors and government sources. Programs are in place to subsidize apartment conversions, rehabilitate vacant commercial buildings and invest in innovation districts and urban placemaking initiatives. Academic facilities receive ongoing investment, which can be strategi- cally targeted to support a coherent plan to revitalize promising spaces in meaningful places, creating a mutually reinforcing community. The proposed uses could also generate the revenue needed to attract private investment. Much of Hartford's existing corporate base and many cultural anchors surround this troubled real estate, along with the riverfront park system and planned housing development across the Founders Bridge in East Hartford. To revitalize Constitution Plaza is to protect and enhance these valued neighbors, including some of our finest corporate employers and public venues. It will also connect an enviable but disconnected array of assets so they can complement one another and put downtown Hartford on a promising path built on learning, careers and experi- ences for visitors and residents. Matt Fleury is president and CEO of the Connecticut Science Center. Greg Bordonaro

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