Business View Magazine - October 2018

200 201 NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT York City, it is located next to major highways serv- ing the Northeast. State Pier is located near the major shipyards maintained by Electric Boat and the U.S.Naval Submarine Base in Groton. “The State of Connecticut recently developed the Connecticut Port Authority to run the State Pier. And, this past May, Governor Malloy announced a $15 million investment at State Pier to be used for infrastructure improvements and to help ready the pier for future use by the burgeoning offshore wind industry. State officials have said the pier could accommodate assembly of wind turbines and their bases while providing the space for staging the ex- tremely large components for delivery to off-shore locations.The funding will provide for the dem- olition of selected structures, site improvements, stormwater treatment and drainage improvements, upgrades to increase laydown capabilities, construc- tion of a heavy lift pad, improvements to load-bear- ing capacity, and replacement of mooring dolphins. “Recently, the state decided to award a contract for the development of offshore wind power to a company called Deepwater Wind,which committed an additional $15 million to the State Pier area for the development of this new industry. Deepwater Wind officials say workers could assemble the wind farm’s substation and perform secondary steel fab- rication, such as welding ladders and rails, in New London. Components shipped into New London for assembly or fabrication could end up in wind farms in federal waters off other states. “It will also bring electricity to New London.The 200 megawatts from offshore wind will come from Deepwater Wind’s RevolutionWind project, a 25-tur- bine wind farm in federal waters south of Martha’s Vineyard.The company plans to start construction in 2021 and deliver power by 2023. It’s the biggest development in quite awhile and everybody’s pretty excited about it.” Tetteh: “The City of New London is preparing a newComplete Streets policy for adoption with the goal of ensuring that all public rights of way are designed and operated to provide what must be safe, accessible, connected means of transportation for all users including pedestrians, bicyclists, tran- sit riders,motor vehicle drivers, emergency vehicle operators, and commercial vehicle operators.This new policy will ensure that all ongoing mainte- nance projects such as resurfacing, repaving, restrip- ing, rehabilitation, or other types of changes to the transportation system account for the needs of all modes of transportation and all users of the road network.The policy will also ensure that all rights of way including sidewalks, buffer areas, parking lanes, travel lanes, bicycle lanes, street furniture, lighting, and landscaping complements and enhances the surrounding land use and neighborhood character. The City, in partnership with the Pedestrian Advisory Committee is working to push this initiative. “The City of New London is also planning a multi- use, combined, impervious Pedestrian and Bike Path Trail from City Pier to behind Shaw’s Landing Con- dominiums.This project is the initial phase of a plan that will enable walking and bike paths connecting City Pier to Fort Trumbull.The City was awarded a $61,650 grant from the State of Connecticut,De- partment of Energy and Environmental Protection to provide final plans and construction documents for the one-half mile trail, essentially creating a loop from our downtown onto our waterfront to further promote a bikeable and walkable city.Once plans are complete, the City will apply for additional grant funding for construction of the path.” BVM: How does the City work to foster growth and change within the community? Bombria: “A Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) was awarded to the City of New London