Bolton ● Coventry ● Mansfield ● Tolland Photo courtesy of city-data.com Photo courtesy of Deroches Photography Photo courtesy of explorect.org A Homegrown Approach to Strengthening the Region Action Plan for Economic Vitality Prepared for the Towns of Bolton, Coventry, Mansfield, and Tolland Prepared by AdvanceCT September 2020 Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Background .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Project Overview .................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Methodology .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 What We Learned ................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Impact of COVID-19 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Recommendations .............................................................................................................................................................................11 Recommendations Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 12 Outdoor Recreation ......................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Agriculture ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Culture and Entertainment ........................................................................................................................................................... 29 Small Business and Entrepreneurs ........................................................................................................................................... 35 The Role of Higher Education Institutions ............................................................................................................................. 44 Visibility and Marketing ................................................................................................................................................................. 51 Additional Considerations ............................................................................................................................................................ 58 Implementation ...................................................................................................................................................................................61 Managing Plan Implementation.................................................................................................................................................. 62 Funding Plan Implementation ..................................................................................................................................................... 63 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 68 Appendices .............................................................................................................................................................................................69 Appendix A: Implementation Matrix ........................................................................................................................................ 70 Appendix B: Document Review Findings ................................................................................................................................ 71 Appendix C: Focus Group Results .............................................................................................................................................. 80 Appendix D: List of Interviewees ............................................................................................................................................... 97 Appendix E: Customer Satisfaction Survey ............................................................................................................................ 98 Appendix F: UConn and ECSU Contact Lists for Key Department Heads .................................................................. 99 Appendix G: Marketing Campaign Brainstorm Results ................................................................................................. 101 Page | 2 Executive Summary AdvanceCT partnered with the Towns of Bolton, Coventry, Mansfield, and Tolland to create the following Regional Economic Vitality Action Plan. Through an extensive process of document and data review, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews, AdvanceCT developed a robust library of input to inform the plan. The recommendations that follow reflect the vision of those residents and businesses located in the region that were engaged as part of this process, and which we hope represents a broader set of ideas in the region as a whole. This plan explores new opportunities that align with that vision, and which are grounded in AdvanceCT staff’s experience with and understanding of broader economic development trends statewide and nationally. This plan is designed to better develop and promote key industry areas and to grow strategic partnerships, with the end goal of retention, expansion, and attraction of businesses to and within the region. As these businesses become more successful, the region will see job growth, increased investment, and increased tax revenue at the local level. Following are key focuses of this plan: • Outdoor recreation – Outdoor recreation can drive economic growth, rather than simply act as an amenity for residents, through better identification and marketing of assets and growth of complementary businesses. • Agriculture and agri-tourism – Agriculture is a valued legacy industry within the region, and there is opportunity for its growth through greater promotion of agri-tourism and by developing strategic partnerships to build the customer base for locally-made products. • Culture and entertainment – The region has many unique cultural opportunities that can draw in visitors statewide and beyond, and creating strong connections between these opportunities and local businesses is critical in repurposing them as an economic driver. • Entrepreneurs and small businesses – At a broader level, the region can better support its entrepreneurs and small businesses by connecting them to resources and potential clients in ways that may not have yet been considered. • Visibility and marketing – The region should better promote its assets, both digitally and physically, to encourage visitor attraction and business recruitment. • Partnering with regional higher education institutions – The presence of UConn and ECSU in and near the region are critical opportunities for growth of businesses, talent, residents, and visitors, and connections at those universities must continue to be developed in order to more effectively capitalize on those opportunities. • Plan administration – The region needs an entity to drive implementation of this plan, which may look like a steering committee at the outset but could evolve into a 501c(3) further into the future. Through a strong and unified effort to implement the recommendations included in this plan, the region will see economic growth that complements its character. AdvanceCT looks forward to providing ongoing guidance to the region as the next phase of this project begins. Page | 3 Background Page | 4 Project Overview AdvanceCT was selected by the Towns of Bolton, Coventry, Mansfield, and Tolland in the summer of 2019 to assist in the creation of an action plan for a regional economic vitality effort. The initial Request for Proposals (RFP) called for the following components for the plan: • Identification of funding opportunities to secure grants and facilitate the action plan; • Identification of pro-bono and/or cross-promotional marketing support; • Identification of methods to leverage growth and the presence of the University of Connecticut; • Identification of methods to form additional strategic partnerships with key community stakeholders; • Focus on outdoor recreation, tourism, agri-tourism, and cultural arts support; • Focus on themes not previously identified by the towns; • Creation of a highly-visible regional identity; and • Possible implementation of action items. Through an extensive process of gathering information to inform the plan, AdvanceCT created a series of recommendations covering all these areas. Beyond the requirements specified in the RFP, AdvanceCT sought the following goals for the region through