![]() Grants through Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund had a major impact on the ArtBarrier project, as well as in procuring new banners for the Center and Blue Back Square. Screenshot of West Hartford Economic Development Update The outdoor dining corrals, reinstalled earlier this month and enhanced this year with murals through a collaboration with the West Hartford Art League and West Hartford Arts and Culture Commission, have truly led to the creation of “gardens of eating.” From forums with legislative leaders, to contests like #EatLocalWinLocal, to reimagining the annual holiday stroll in a COVID-safe format that encompassed all parts of town, efforts have been designed to support the needs of local businesses.Įxpanded outdoor dining – a category in itself – was not only a saving grace for many West Hartford restaurants during the pandemic but also transformed town into more of a dining mecca than ever before. ![]() Gorski touched on many of those collaborative initiatives and programs the town, Chamber, and business associations launched during the pandemic. “This year our ability to work collaboratively as a team reached a new level,” West Hartford Town Manager Matt Hart said. In addition to new business openings and renovations over the past year, the presentation touched on some projects that are nearly completed and those slated to get underway this year.Įfforts by various departments in the town, together with the Chamber, were and will continue to be instrumental in the town’s economic success and recovery. The number of businesses that closed their doors or relocated out of West Hartford during the pandemic is in the low 30s, she said. The presentation of West Hartford’s annual Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Update – back this year after a 2020 hiatus – was virtual, but the reality presented by Economic Development Coordinator Kristen Gorski on Thursday clearly demonstrated that from one corner to the other, the town continues to be a premier destination for businesses, with new shops, offices, restaurants, and residential development.ĭespite the COVID-19 pandemic which has gripped the nation, and the world, for more than a year, West Hartford has continued to thrive, adding roughly 40-50 new brick and mortar businesses, Gorski said. Clockwise from top left, Chamber Member Services Coordinator Jessie Bouclier, Chamber Executive Director Chris Conway, Chamber President Amy Babich, People’s United Bank VP Nancy Brecher, Town Manager Matt Hart, Economic Development Coordinator Kristen Gorski. The West Hartford Chamber of Commerce hosted the virtual Economic Development Update Thursday.
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