Business and Industry
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| Stamford's dramatic growth signals carefully planned advancement that creates a stable and dynamic business community. |
From an outsider's view, it's easy to see the changes that have taken place in Stamford over the past decade. From the continuation of rebuilding our downtown retail stores to the expansion of important businesses on the West Side, East Side, South End, Glenbrook, and Springdale, Stamford is bursting with life, opportunity and renewal. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, Stamford is a city on the go.
Stamford's dramatic growth signals carefully planned advancement that creates a stable and dynamic business community. Stamford, long known for its corporate headquarters, financial services firms, and service and consulting companies, is the largest business center in Connecticut.
Stamford has also become the largest international commercial hub between New York and Boston. Starwood Hotels is planning to move to the new Harbor Point Development in early 2011. The move of the Royal Bank of Scotland to the city, the presence of many multinational companies, and the work of the large population of international brokers and service companies place Stamford firmly in the global marketplace.
Stamford's numerous small businesses support both the national and international work of their corporate clients and the needs of community. Over 85% of the more-than-1,600 members of the Chamber of Commerce are small businesses.
The vitality of the downtown area continues to increase with the addition of new housing units, new restaurants, new retail space, and a creative mix of live theater, concerts, and special events. The Stamford Town Center mall has undergone a major renovation and has become more accessible to pedestrians and bringing major national retailers to the city.
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| Rich Educational and Growth Opportunities |
The advancement of the business community is supported by the University of Connecticut through providing educational opportunities and partnering with the many corporations in Stamford. The Connecticut Information Technology Institute (CITI) is specifically designed to meet the corporate need for more jobs with specific technological and computer skills. The annual Symposium on International Trade and Investment (SITI) helps the business community further international economic development in the region.
The real estate community continues to invest in residential and commercial development to meet the anticipated growth of the business community.
In the South End, $30 million in federal funding was used for the Transit Way project, which will provide a major connection between the train station and the major arteries in the South End. The redevelopment of the South End will move into high gear with the latest acquisition of 82 acres by Antares. The planned development will include 4 000 units of housing, 250,000 square feet of office space, two hotels, 400,000 square feet of retail space, a large amount of open space, and possibly a school. This project will have as profound an effect on the South End as the urban renewal program did on the city's central core.
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| Window shopping |
Retail development continues to grow throughout the city. On West Main Street, The Commerce Park development on is adding new restaurants and specialty stores. More commercial development is planned in the West End. New specialty stores have blossomed throughout the city, from artisans' stores to revitalized shopping centers along High Ridge Road.
Stamford has also become a cultural and entertainment hub. Stamford is known for its many fine restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, and bars. The theater and arts scene is increasingly vibrant, featuring performances at the Stamford Center for the Arts, Stamford Theater Works, Curtain Call, the Stamford Symphony, operas, ballet, musicals, and concerts. Movie lovers have their choice of first-run or classic movies. All of these cultural opportunities, along with special children's events and exhibits at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center, have strengthened Stamford's cultural image in the metropolitan area.
Stamford's renewal didn't happen by accident. The efforts of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce, the office of the Mayor, the Stamford Downtown Special Services District, the city's Economic Development Office, the Police Department, and other city agencies, have resulted in a unified effort to create the revitalization so evident today. And it has become an across-the-board effort. Membership in the Stamford Chamber of Commerce has surpassed 1,600, making it the largest business organization in southwestern Connecticut.
There is a confidence among Stamford's leaders that the city has a strong economic base and cultural center that serves not only its residents, but also a larger regional community.
