Elizabeth Stocker - With large commercial and industrial properties, Newtown can easily match your building needs

Newtown appears to be almost unique in that it has large commercial and industrial properties - both land and buildings at three separate interchanges of Interstate 84 making it easy to match your needs to the right property. The Newtown Tech Park, located a few hundred yards off exit 10 has just received local wetlands approval for an access road and is much closer to being shovel-ready. A few lots remain nearby on Commerce Rd. and at Curtis Corporate Park in Sandy Hook, where small businesses make up an important commercial hub off exit 11. Also available and appropriately zoned (M-2A) for a large scale commercial project is a 100-acre parcel at I-84's exit 9. The 100-acre site has frontage along I-84 with access to state Rtes. 6 and 25. This site is a unique find in Fairfield County since it is undeveloped, adjacent to an interstate and only minutes from the interchange. The Hawleyville section of Newtown off the same exit has several shovel-ready parcels with zoning and wetland approvals in hand for commercial development. A new land development project is emerging in the southern area of Newtown where railroad spur access provides an attractive amenity for Interstate/Lakeland Lumber and SMT Corp. which is working to prepare land for a new industrial subdivision. A recent zone change permits smaller lots with greater coverage, thereby increasing development potential along the rail line. The area is sure to attract smaller companies seeking land for a home. Additionally, the compact village neighborhoods in the borough of Newtown, Hawleyville and Sandy Hook Center provide options for service businesses and infill development to serve rapidly growing local markets. The many restaurants, retail shops, banks, bakeries and schools combine nicely and provide choices for upscale residents, businesses and visitors. I welcome your call or visit and will work with you confidentially to help find you the right Newtown location. Whether you are seeking land along Interstate 84, Route 25 or Route 6, a building to lease or redevelopment options at Fairfield Hills Campus, I will help you explore the many options available. Our location in western Connecticut along Interstate 84 provides us with excellent transportation access to New York, lower Fairfield County and New England. In addition to major state roads, Newtown is convenient for commuters, air travel and the movement of products by truck, air and freight rail. These transportation and travel options offer ease of access to workers, services and the shipment of goods. Newtown attracts residents and companies who recognize that our location and our transportation infrastructure provide us with immediate access to a diverse and highly skilled work force and markets of the northeastern U.S. Should your project need permitting and review, you can count on my department and the Newtown Economic Development Commission to stay with your team during the permitting process and project review. Our strategy supports local business expansions and new business development and was a key factor when Advanced Fusion Systems decided on Newtown for its headquarters, research and manufacturing facility. AFS purchased a large former Pitney Bowes building and is well on its way to completing a $25 million project for their new home. In addition to this personal attention, the commission's web site provides the tools necessary to learn more about available commercial real estate and the local business climate. Links to CERC's Site Finder allow visitors to search for properties and detailed data on the labor force, housing, consumer spending and other demographic information. Our pro-business attitude is designed to help assure the growth and prosperity of your business and our community. We are committed to initiatives that promote a healthy business climate, will address concerns as needed and will work to remove barriers and help businesses grow and prosper in Newtown. Newtown's Economic Development Commission and I are dedicated to local business growth and are only a phone call or mouse-click away! We welcome the opportunity to show you how Newtown can help your bottom line. Visit our web site www.newtown.org or call me at 203-270-4271. Elizabeth Stocker, AICP, is the director of economic and community development, town of Newtown, Conn.