2 - Town of Colchester

Employment Trends
Employment
1960 963
1970 1,520
1980 1,700
1990 3,050
2000 3,450
2010 4,150
2020 4,850
Source: CT Labor Department, projections
by Department of Transportation in italics.
INVENTORY & ASSESSMENT
Colchester is a sub-regional center as evidenced by the fact that Colchester has more jobs than any of the surrounding
towns and higher retail sales and economic output than any of the surrounding towns. While most business uses are
concentrated in the Town Center and in the Westchester area, some uses are also spread out along major arterial roads
where business or industrial zones have existed.
In the telephone survey, Colchester residents generally agreed that:
• attracting more business and industry would make the town a better place to live,
• the town should do more to attract business and industry to town, and
• the town should be doing more to expand tax revenues from business and industry.
Would More Business Make Colchester a
Better Place
Should Colchester Attract New Business
and Industry
Should Colchester Expand Tax Revenue
from Business and Industry
A Better Place 56% Should Do More 59% Should Do More 53%
Depends 7% Done Enough 32% Done Enough 29%
No Difference 18% Done Too Much 8% Done Too Much 5%
A Worse Place 18% Don’t Know 2% Don’t Know 13%
Don’t Know 1%
Should Colchester Encourage Business Should Colchester Encourage More
Growth Only Near The Town Center Retail Development in Westchester
Strongly Agree 26% Strongly Agree 41%
Mildly Agree 23% Mildly Agree 31%
Mildly Disagree 20% Mildly Disagree 13%
Strongly Disagree 29% Strongly Disagree 10%
Don’t Know 3% Don’t Know 6%
Overall, there appears to be a demand in the Colchester area for additional retail and service businesses to serve the needs
of residents of Colchester and surrounding communities. In addition, Colchester, due to its strategic location and well
qualified labor force, has the potential to establish a high-quality business park for office, research, and light industrial
uses.
Thus, Colchester has an opportunity to promote appropriate economic development through:
• development of business parks, and
• appropriate siting of retail and service uses to meet local and regional needs.
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