Early last year, I got a call from Chris Swift, Chairman and CEO of The Hartford. He wanted to talk about a public-private partnership to help reimagine our capital city.
It was a timely call. Since my first days as Commissioner, Hartford has been front of mind. One of the very first questions I was asked—by a reporter, no less—was: “Welcome to the job. How are you going to fix Hartford?”
Before coming back to Chris, it’s worth framing the problem.
From Brownfields to Greyfields
Greyfields builds on an existing program many people already know: Brownfields. The premise is straightforward. Over time, certain physical assets outlive their original economic purpose—former power plants, mills, and industrial sites that once powered our economy but no longer do.
One core insight from Brownfields is this: the private sector is excellent at development, but in some cases the math simply doesn’t work. Environmental uncertainty and remediation costs leave many sites dormant. That’s why last year’s regulatory reforms mattered so much. Connecticut has more than 2,000 of these sites, and reclaiming them is essential in a geographically constrained state.
Brownfields takes a proactive approach—working with local leaders to identify, remediate, and prepare sites for new uses. The payoff is twofold: removing blight while unlocking opportunity.
A New Challenge
Greyfields addresses a parallel challenge. The pandemic accelerated a shift toward hybrid and remote work, leaving behind office buildings and commercial centers designed for a different era—one built around five-day, in-person knowledge work and traditional retail.
This doesn’t mean all office buildings or shopping centers are obsolete. It does mean we need more flexibility in how we use physical space. Greyfields focuses on adapting these assets to today’s economy—prioritizing residential conversion where possible, because like the rest of the country, Connecticut needs more housing.
When residential conversion isn’t viable—due to building design, age, or layout—Greyfields supports reinvestment and renewal for new uses. Just as Brownfields targeted former industrial plants and mills, Greyfields applies the same logic to office buildings and retail centers whose original economic purpose has changed.
A Broader Vision for Our Cities
This brings me back to Chris Swift and Hartford.
Programs like Greyfields can’t operate in isolation. The solutions are complex and require broad stakeholder engagement. Redevelopment needs to be part of a longer-term vision—one that asks not just what our cities look like in five years, but in 25, 50, or even 100.
The pandemic gave us permission to rethink some long-held assumptions. For decades, we equated economic vitality with density. Clusters still matter—I believe deeply in that—but density alone is no longer the sole organizing principle.
Hybrid work gives us the opportunity to reimagine cities that are more walkable, more livable, greener, and more human-scaled—without sacrificing economic dynamism.
We’ve seen this work. Anyone who has spent time in Stamford over the past decade has watched Harbor Point transform into a vibrant, mixed-use community where people can live, work, and enjoy the benefits of a great city.
That’s the kind of thinking we want to bring to Hartford and beyond.
Partnership at Its Best
I’m proud to partner with Chris and the civic, business, and cultural leaders involved in this effort—leaders of major institutions, both mayors, and stakeholders deeply invested in Hartford and East Hartford’s future.
This is public-private partnership at its best: aligning intention, effort, and execution to drive transformational change.
I’m excited for what comes next.