New Ansonia Development Director Stresses The Big Picture

Photo:Ethan FryYou want economic development?

Peter Kelly, Ansonia’s new economic development director, has a simple solution.

Tell everyone you know to go out and get in a car wreck.”

If all you want to do is have more money going through the local economy, he pointed out during an interview in his City Hall office last week, the strictly economic benefits would abound.

More cops would be needed on the streets. Auto shops would get a lot more business. So would lawyers, doctors, and insurance salespeople.

But those benefits” obviously come with other costs — the pain and suffering of those injured, the headaches for people having to get their cars fixed, go to doctors for treatment, consult with lawyers about lawsuits, etc.

Kelly uses the example to illustrate the fact that his job, as he sees it, is more than just about what people traditionally see as the responsibilities of an economic development director: business recruitment, retention, and expansion.

Those are critical, and those are steps that we have to take,” Kelly told the city’s Economic Development Commission Sept. 23. But in a way it’s kind of low-hanging fruit.”

The end game should always be to build a healthy community,” he said later. You can chase businesses, and that’s not to say that we shouldn’t, but long-term it’s a lot better if you cultivate a healthy environment that attracts businesses naturally.”

Kelly, who described his job as a little bit cheerleader, a little bit band leader,” talked with Economic Development Commission members for about an hour Monday (Sept. 23) to lay out his vision.

Kelly has been on the job for about a month, after being hired in August from an initial field of about 40 applicants. He has previously served as economic development director for the city of Gallup, NM, and also has experience as a commercial real estate broker.

During his remarks and a subsequent question-and-answer period with commission members, he stressed that helping the city, once a bustling manufacturing center, remake itself into a vibrant community once again is a process that won’t happen over months — or even years.

By way of illustration, he pointed to nearby Shelton, which also saw a vigorous downtown economic base evaporate as manufacturing jobs deserted the country.

There, new residential communities are taking the place of those old factories, and bringing people — and their disposable incomes — to the core of the city.

(Shelton Economic Development Corporation President) Jimmy (Ryan) emphasized this did not occur overnight,” Kelly told commission members last week. What you see now is the product of a generation’s worth of work — 20 to 25 years. That’s not to say that we can’t realize some near-term successes. But we also have to build community from the inside.”

His remarks echoed several points made in a strategic plan for economic development the city paid a consultant $25,000 to prepare last year and unveiled during an Aldermen’s meeting in July.

The consultant, Dick Stoltz, of Hartford-based Bartram & Cochran, and Kelly will formally present the plan to the community at large Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at Ansonia High School.

Click here for more details.

Stoltz’s plan — which predicts the city could attract 72 new businesses over the next five years — is posted below, along with an outline Kelly gave the Economic Development Commission about how to implement it.

Though Kelly emphasized to Economic Development Commission members he’s in it for the long haul, they’re clearly anxious to see him roll up his sleeves.

How many months do you have to make good?” commission member Horace Behrle joked to Kelly toward the end of last week’s meeting.

There are going to be small victories, and we need to celebrate those,” Kelly replied. Big victories, it may take awhile before you change the complexion and the perception both within Ansonia and outside Ansonia to the point where we land big fish.”

Mayor James Della Volpe on Wednesday (Oct. 2) said Kelly has hit the ground running since beginning work last month and that he brings a wealth of experience in regard to this type of work.’

I’ve been very impressed with his knowledge,” the mayor said, adding that he’s been introducing Kelly to state officials and also attended a economic development conference sponsored by United Illuminating with him. He’s very talented.”

Economic Development Commission Chairman Vinnie Scarlata said Monday (Oct. 1) that the city is fortunate to have Kelly helming its efforts.

One thing that’s very striking about Peter is his knowledge of economic development, his knowledge of where to find resources, and how to deal on a different level than I know of to address development,” he said. And that is the piece we’ve been missing.

I would have never thought we could have attracted an individual like Peter,” Scarlata went on. Ansonia got lucky.”

Keith Murray, a downtown lawyer who sits on the Economic Development Commission, said Kelly seems like a very practical straight-shooter,” which will help in a city like Ansonia.

He understands that economic growth is about creating an environment helpful and supportive of businesses, not just getting businesses to come in,” Murray said. “(With) politics in town being so divided, it will be interesting to see how he navigates and stays above that morass. When you get down to it, economic development is about the good of the town as a whole, and should be above the political, partisan BS that hinders progress.”

Ansonia-Strategic Economic Development Plan2013 by ValleyIndyDotOrg

City of Ansonia Strategic Plan Presentation

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