ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Partner Insights
FAIRFIELD: A SOUND CHOICE FOR BUSINESS
With its highly skilled workforce and two outstanding private universities, Fairfield is the ideal choice for businesses seeking a deep talent pool. Just 50 miles from New York City, Fairfield affords easy access to Interstate 95 and the Merritt Parkway, both regional and international airports and an impressive commuter rail system anchored by three Metro-North train stations. Aside from its talented workforce, coveted location and unparalleled access, Fairfield possesses a nationally ranked school system, top-notch public services and an enviable quality of life. Consistently identified as one of the best places to live, Fairfield has a strong and diverse economy. It’s easy to see why more than 3,000 businesses call Fairfield home.
Within a 25-mile radius of Fairfield’s vibrant and walkable downtown, companies can draw upon a population of more than 500,000. Over 62 percent of Fairfield res -
idents have college or advanced degrees, and Fairfield boasts more management, finance and IT professionals per capita than New York City. And, with a combined enrollment of more than 13,000 students, Fairfield and Sacred Heart universities provide access to the rising talent that knowledge-based companies covet.
Attracting top talent demands amenity rich, vibrant places that integrate work with modern life. Fairfield affords employers and employees alike with urban-style amenities in a suburban setting. Fairfield’s bustling downtown is home to a nascent arts scene, centered on the Fairfield Theater Company and newly restored SHU Community Theater, as well as charming shops and boutique stores. With over 200 local eating spots, Fairfield is a popular destination for foodies. Coupled with more than five miles of shoreline on Long Island Sound and more than 1,000 acres of parks and dedicated open space, it’s easy to see why people choose to stay.
The town has embarked on an ambitious economic development strategy focused on mixed-use and transit-oriented development. New regulations permit a broad range of commercial uses as well as higher density residential and lower on-site parking requirements in recognition of the availability of mass transit. This focus on transit-oriented development has already spurred new investment activity, with 750,000 square feet of mixed-use development including 400 residential units having been built within the past few years. Another 700+ units are in construction or approved to be built.
To learn more about commercial opportunities and how you can become a part of this dynamic and forward-thinking community, please visit our website or contact the Fairfield Department of Economic and Community Development at 203-256-3120 or mbarnhart@ fairfieldct.org.
Seeking a Great Place for Your Business?
With a highly educated workforce and two outstanding private universities, Fairfield is the smart choice for businesses seeking a deep talent pool, unparalleled access and a blend of urban-style amenities in a suburban setting.
INVESTING IN TOMORROW
The Cappelli Organization and its subsidiaries, Cappelli Development and LRC Construction, are prominent leaders in real estate development and construction in the Northeast with a 45-year track record of proven excellence. From concept to completion, we bring a unique and well-rounded perspective to every project we oversee. Real Estate Investment / Development Management / Construction Management General Contracting / Concrete Superstructure Cappelli Organization, 5 Renaissance Square, 42nd Floor, White Plains, NY 10601 914-769-6500 | WWW.CAPPELLIORG.COM
AVE HAMILTON GREEN
25 NORTH LEX
220 HAMILTON AVENUE
247 NORTH AVENUE
AIMING HIGH
By Joshua A. Potosek, Sullivan County Manager
On a warm July day in 1969, local, State and Federal officials celebrated the opening of Sullivan County International Airport a few miles west of Monticello, NY. The 6,000-foot runway was pressed into major service only a couple weeks later, when the legendary Woodstock festival bands started flying in and the emergency choppers started flying out.
While the Airport has continued to play host to international stars performing at local hotels (or just jetting in for their own relaxing getaway), the original dream of a vibrant, attractive aviation hub has – pardon the pun – never really taken off. Yes, there
was scheduled airline service in the 1970s –even flights to Canada, earning the “International” part of its name.
And it continues to provide a haven for pilots (who rent hangars from us), planes (propeller-driven and jet-powered), the Civil
Air Patrol, Hatzolah Air, and our 911 Center. Aviation fuel sales remain strong, and with an average of 72 takeoffs and landings every week, the Airport by no means goes unused.
But we know it’s capable of far more. And that’s why we were thrilled when Gov. Kathy Hochul included Sullivan County in her Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Program, giving us $18.5 million to construct a new, energy-efficient terminal via the NYS Department of Transportation.
The 15,000-square-foot, timber-supported building finished construction last fall, and it’s a beauty: two stories full of floor-to-
Explore options: call Ryan Brown at 845-807-0325
restaurant coming 6,298 x 150-foot runway
600 acres with developable space
20 minutes by air from NYC
ceiling windows facing the runway, with six leasable business offices, a conference room, a pilot’s lounge, and a second-floor restaurant (opening this summer) with an outdoor deck featuring views extending all the way to the high peaks of the Catskills. Sustainably built with glue-laminated wood, the terminal is heated and cooled with a geothermal system, powered in part by a photovoltaic array, and will have electric vehicle charging stations right outside its doors.
On its own, the terminal is an incredible new asset for the Airport. But we are not stopping there. We have just begun marketing the Airport as the most attractive business jetport within a 100-mile radius of New York City. After all, we already have more room and less expensive lease terms than any of the airports closer to the City (from which we’re only a 20-minute plane ride). The intent is not to bring back scheduled airline service, since there’s plenty of options in and around the Hudson Valley. Rather, we’re seeking to promote Sullivan County International Airport to business aviation companies as a convenient, attractive, cost-effective alternative to the far more congested and expensive NYC airports.
Here in Sullivan County’s Catskills, they can store and fuel their planes, ship cargo in and out, and set up offices for their pilots and ground crews. We’ve already demonstrated the feasibility of this with Hatzolah Air, a nonprofit goodwill that flies around the world from our Airport.
With a new terminal ready to dazzle, we’re aiming high to finally reveal this long-hidden gem.