February 21, 2006
SEN. LEBEAU, REPS. CHRIST, GENGA AND STONE PROPOSE $35 MILLION MORE IN STATE AID FOR RENTSCHLER FIELD DEVELOPMENT
HARTFORD – State Sen. Gary D. LeBeau (D-East Hartford) and East Hartford state Reps. Michael Christ, Henry Genga and Christopher Stone have submitted legislation seeking an additional $35 million in state bonding for infrastructure and road improvements necessary for the development of Rentschler Field.
The bill – House Bill 5326— was submitted Friday, February 17 by Sen. LeBeau and Reps. Christ, Genga and Stone, and was immediately referred to the Commerce Committee, of which Sen. LeBeau is co-chairman.
The bill seeks to facilitate the full development of Rentschler Field, to increase employment opportunities there, and to realize the significant economic potential that the Rentschler Field development proposal has for East Hartford, the region and the state.
Over the past several years, the state legislature has approved approximately $10 million in bonding for road and infrastructure improvements to Rentschler Field, which is owned by United Technologies Corp., home to a 40,000 square-foot open-air stadium, and subject to a comprehensive development of technology, businesses and retail.
At a time when Connecticut is facing slow job growth and a renewed commitment to economic expansion from legislative leaders, this proposal nearly quadruples the state’s investment.
“We’re all talking about economic development, we’re all talking about job growth, and here we have this gem of a development project sitting on hold in large part because of infrastructure and transportation needs – the two big bugaboos of Connecticut business and industry,” Sen. LeBeau said. “We will be coming out with a Commerce Committee bill to demonstrate that this is about the State of Connecticut having a regional job center, a regional economic growth engine. It’s not just a bill for East Hartford, it’s a bill for all of Connecticut.”
“This investment will contribute to an economic engine not only for the immediate area, but for the State of Connecticut as well,” Rep. Stone said. “Not only will this project contribute to good paying jobs, we will get back many times the money for the amount invested.”
“This development is vital to the region,” Rep. Christ said. “The state of Connecticut needs to make this commitment once and for all. We need to develop this property for the good of the region and the state. It means high-end jobs, technology, everything we need to be moving forward, and that is why it makes sense.”
“It’s a benefit for East Hartford, it’s an economic engine for the area, and it will benefit all of Connecticut, no question,” Rep. Genga said.