The southeastern Connecticut Region (SECT) has undergone a radical restructuring of its economy over the past decade. SECT is home to both the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, the Atlantic homeport for attack nuclear submarines, and Electric Boat, which designs, manufactures, and repairs submarines for the U.S. Navy. In 1990, these two facilities, along with many contractors and subcontractors, provided about 37,000 high paying jobs for residents of the region. By the year 2000, 17,000 defense-industry positions had been eliminated. While this could have been an economic disaster, what could not have been forecast in the early 1990s was the explosive growth in what has become the region’s new economic strength, the tourism and entertainment industry cluster. This growth was driven primarily by the development and eventual expansion of two major casinos — Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. By 2004, with over 20,000 jobs at the two casinos, the region has become almost as dependent upon these two entities as it was in the 1990s on the Submarine Base and Electric Boat.

Responding to the looming defense downsizing in the 1990s, a strategic action plan for the region’s future was developed, leading to the establishment of the Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region (seCTer) with the mission of strengthening and diversifying the region’s economy. After a decade spent on implementation, seCTer, along with the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (SCCOG), decided to update the strategic plan in 2003, and embarked upon a strategic planning process with the goal of creating a regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The intent of this process is to create a common understanding of regional economic development and to bring all of the region’s stakeholders together around a common set of priorities and a common vision for the future. This report is the culmination of that process.

Click Here to Read Full Executive Summary