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2026 BEST PLACES FOR BUSINESS | HBJ HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | 15 XXXXXX XXXX Development Services Jonathan Reiner. Expanding the housing supply is a key focus for Groton as submarine manufacturer Electric Boat, a major local employer, adds thousands of workers. INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT Municipalities are also investing in public infrastructure to support development. Stamford has invested in schools, public plazas and parking garages — amenities intended to make entire districts more livable and attractive to development rather than support any single project, said Kagan. Norwalk is building 16 miles of bicycle infrastructure and improving transit access. The city also has four Metro-North train stations — more than any other Connecticut municipality — and access to Interstate 95, Route 7 and the Merritt Parkway. Combined with investments in affordable housing and schools, those transportation links support a strategy based on the view that businesses follow workers, who increasingly consider quality of life as well as commute times when deciding where to live, Habansky said. In Hartford, officials are considering long- term transportation changes that would require substantial federal funding. The Greater Hartford Mobility Plan aims to reroute highway traffic around downtown, and officials have discussed capping a portion of Interstate 91 to reconnect the city with the Connecticut River. Such a project would help reverse the effects of highway development that separated downtown from the riverfront, Benjamin said. Danbury has used state grants to rebuild downtown streets, sidewalks and other public infrastructure. Windsor has directed some of its spending toward opening sites for development. Improvements to Baker Hollow Road, for example, supported new industrial construction. The town also markets its access to Interstate 91 as a major advantage for employers and developers, McMahon said. Groton officials point to available water and sewer capacity as a competitive strength. The town is also investing in infrastructure in downtown Mystic to support tourism and related businesses, said Piazza and Reiner. PERMITTING IMPROVEMENTS Municipalities are also paying closer attention to how long it takes developers to secure approvals, making speed another selling point. Stamford opened a walk-in permitting center that gives developers direct, in-person access to reviewers instead of requiring them to route questions through email or paperwork. Norwalk recently signed a vendor contract for an online permitting platform that will replace its paper-based system. The new system is intended to improve accountability and reduce delays caused by manually routing applications among departments, Habansky said. Hartford joined a national cohort called the Regulatory Justice Initiative and overhauled its permitting process, cutting average approval times by more than half during Mayor Arunan Arulampalam's first year in office, Benjamin said. Danbury 's "Do It In Danbury" website brings together economic development information, business resources and links to the city's permit department. The city is also exploring artificial intelligence tools to speed up inspections and permitting, Santos said. Windsor has paired its online permitting system with weekly meetings between municipal staff and applicants. The meetings give developers feedback before a project reaches a formal land- use board hearing, McMahon said. Groton conducted a "lean analysis" of its regulatory process to identify and eliminate unnecessary steps. The town has since adopted an online permitting system that allows developers to track a project's status without calling town staff, said Piazza and Reiner. DEDICATED STAFF Economic development staffing varies among the municipalities, but officials said coordination across departments is more important than the size of the office. Norwalk's economic development position is relatively new. Habansky took the job about 18 months ago after spending two decades in urban planning. He described his strategy as an "if you build it, they will come" approach. The city is investing in amenities intended to attract corporate employees rather than relying on costly campaigns aimed directly at businesses. Windsor has a one-person economic development office, which works closely with the town manager 's office and the rest of the town's development team. Continued on next page Hartford Economic Development Director Jack Benjamin on Pratt Street, a pedestrian corridor central to the city's efforts to create a downtown that draws residents and visitors beyond the traditional workday. HBJ Photo | Steve Laschever