But according to experts, those Airbnb properties are contributing to the declining supply of long-term rentals.

A consumer affairs study from last year marked Connecticut as the worst state for renters. The report said the median gross rental on a two-bedroom apartment is $1,441, and the vacancy rate is 3.5%. It appears many potential sellers and landlords are content with the short-term benefits of Airbnb, and that has put a further squeeze on any person or family seeking long-term rentals.

“If someone takes a piece of property and converts it into an Airbnb, there’s one less house for sale, it’s one less apartment to be rented, ” said David Sacco, a University of New Haven lecturer in the finance, economics, management and entrepreneurship program. “The demand for rentals and the demand for housing in this area hasn’t changed. In fact, it’s probably gone up in the last four years as people have pushed out of New York City to places like Connecticut to work at home. There’s probably more demand for housing (in Connecticut) than there was four years ago.”

Sacco said the increase in Airbnbs has not only decreased apartment and housing availability but are also competition for hotels. He said real estate is all about supply and demand, and Airbnb properties are taking away supply from the long-term rental markets.

“There is also less housing for sale because people are essentially converting their property to short-term rentals. I think that’s an area where you have a finite supply issue and that exasperates it a little bit because there is this new opportunity for people to monetize property they own that just didn’t exist five or 10 years ago,” Sacco said.

He said because of the demand, prices have gone up.

“The national real estate market is really scattered. There are a lot of different regions and different regions have different issues. In the Northeast, we have a dense pack of real estate and housing that you are going to have anywhere in the country. There are basically no places to build new housing except where housing already exists,” Sacco said. “In other parts of the country there is plenty of room to expand. Places like Connecticut and most of the Northeast don’t have the ability to sprawl out like other areas.

Sacha Armstrong-Crockett, luxury real estate advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International, said she is seeing a rise in small investors in Hartford County.

“There’s an increased demand for rentals as buying a home becomes more challenging. Some markets are highly competitive, where, unfortunately, many people are either being priced out or repeatedly overlooked. A reliable and stable rental market is essential to meet the needs of those unable to buy,” Armstrong-Crockett said.

Any quick search on the Airbnb platform turns up dozens of listings for Hartford sites, from one room to entire homes. The prices also vary widely, with some rooms list for less than $50 per night, while homes can be hundreds of dollars a night. Others are listed by the week at higher prices. There also are many listings in surrounding towns.

Armstrong-Crockett said the rise of Airbnb presents both benefits and challenges in Hartford County.

“When it’s a small business or a source of supplemental income for families, it can positively contribute to a community,” she said.

“However, if it reaches the point when it reduces long-term rental options, it could affect local housing availability. As someone who works with investors and offers fair housing and first-time buyer workshops to renters, I understand both perspectives,” Armstrong-Crockett said. “Real estate is a financial product for property owners, but housing is also fundamentally a human right. Property owners who provide long-term, healthy and stable housing are important to any community.”

She said she is monitoring the historic Linus B. Plimpton House located at 847 Asylum St. in Hartford, which is being handled by Armstrong-Crockett’s colleague Ellen Sebastian. The house dates back to 1862.

“It’s a NINA property, meaning it must be owner-occupied. The home also features two stunning apartments. It’ll be fascinating to see how things unfold. My hope is that it becomes a space for multigenerational living or that someone creates a truly unique, high-end rental opportunities for the Hartford community,” Armstrong-Crockett said.

NINA is Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance, Inc. which is a Hartford non-profit that “rehabilitates blighted historic houses as owner-occupied opportunities for low-to-moderate-income households,” according to its website.

‘No place to build’

One solution is that the government gets involved, but Sacco said rent control may not be the answer and that there is “very little the government can do to alleviate the supply and demand issue.”

“They can do what the government in New York City has done for years and pose some form of rent price control,” Sacco said. “The problem with price control, which we see in New York City in spades, is that price control, all that they do is exacerbate the shortage because there is not going to be more supply that is created. In fact, there is going to be less supply as the prices are artificially held low and people have less incentive to rent their existing property and people have even less incentive to improve their existing properties to make them more attractive to people.

“Any time you put in price controls you end up with bigger shortages than you had before which doesn’t help the problem. It’s great for some and then everyone else gets priced out,” Sacco said. “You still have the same shortage, and it just gets exasperated, meaning ultimately the market has to come to an equilibrium which is tough in this area because there is no place to build. It’s hard to see where the growth is coming from. Unfortunately, more people, including young people, may consider moving away from this area.”

“I know we tend to think of it as bad with an exodus of people leaving the region that we are living in for real estate prices, but in reality, a lot economic value is being created as well for those people who can move and have more affordable housing and to those areas where real estate values start going up as well,” Sacco said.

Changing markets

David Haberfeld, a Bristol-based real estate investor and entrepreneur, runs Haberfeld Enterprises and said Airbnb is one of the contributing factors, but not a main reason, some buyers and renters are struggling to find housing or rent in the state.

“People think that there is this crazy housing shortage because there is no supply, but the supply is just not on the market,” Haberfeld said. “It’s not listed, so there is a shortage, but not a real shortage of units. People think that greedy landlords are the reason the prices are so high and think that Airbnb is taking away all of the apartments, but it’s just not true. They are contributing factors but not the main drivers.”

Other reasons Haberfeld mentioned sellers aren’t putting their houses on the market are higher interest rates and higher bank fees.

“Airbnbs are also necessary,” Haberfeld said. “I’m a fan and I’m an operator. People that have had a fire in their house and need a place to go and have a family that can’t fit into the hotel room, Airbnb is the right answer for them. Who wants to be the one to say you can’t have Airbnbs here so you have to leave our community, and you can’t stay here.

“Traveling nurses are another group,” he said. “Who wants to say traveling nurses cannot come to our area because we don’t allow Airbnb and hotels are too expensive for them. There is definitely a valid use for Airbnb in every community to have some.”

Haberfeld said tenant/landlord laws have pushed landlords toward renting Airbnbs. He switched to renting Airbnbs in Bristol during the eviction moratorium during the pandemic. He stopped renting his properties because he didn’t want to take the financial risk.

“The reason is you can’t make money in a long-term rental anymore and the tenant/landlord laws are so skewed and are so tenant friendly that landlords are shifting toward Airbnb because the government is abusing the landlords,” Haberfeld said. “Saying that you have to let them live here for free during the eviction moratorium. The Fair Rent Commissions are killing landlords.

“If the tide was to change and the government was to stop abusing landlords and if someone is not paying you can evict them in a timely manner,” he added. “The Fair Rent Commissions are almost unnecessary in my opinion. Some of these short-term rentals will come back to the market. Short-term rentals are about four times as much work as long-term rentals and not everyone wants to do it. But people are kind of forced to do it.”

Jacek Mikolajczyk, a realtor at Berkshire Hathaway, suggests that many potential sellers are also using Airbnb while waiting for a better environment to sell.

“We are seeing a little bit of a slowdown,” Mikolajczyk said. “Some of the homeowners are trying to survive and are trying to rent until the mortgage rates go back down and they can list their house again and get the most income they can for them.

“In this market, there are not too many homes listed,” he added. “People are thinking they are going to get the prices they were getting during COVID, but that’s not the case anymore and it’s hard to let them go for less, so they try an Airbnb. As soon as the mortgage rates go down and more buyers will come back and will start bidding again. … My team sells more than 100 homes per year. We see what is going on.”

Donald Trump’s tariff threats stand to hurt American economic interests because they would disturb automotive supply chains where the U.S. is strong and drive up consumer prices, said the head of General Motors Co.’s Canadian unit.

“It is a disruption that is in no one’s interest, especially in the U.S.,” GM Canada President Kristian Aquilina said in an interview.

Trump has threatened 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, in addition to other trade measures. A report in the Wall Street Journal on Monday said the incoming president will stop short of imposing tariffs on his first day in office. Instead, the new administration will direct federal agencies to evaluate U.S. trade relationships with China, Canada and Mexico, the Journal reported.

Canadian officials have said they’re waiting for Trump’s decision on tariffs, but they will retaliate if necessary with counter-tariffs against U.S. products. If those are applied to cars and trucks, it would make U.S.-manufactured vehicles less attractive to buy.

That would be a blow to Canadian consumers, who are significant buyers of U.S.-made cars and trucks. About 50% of the vehicles sold in Canada by value in 2023 were imported from the U.S., according to calculations by the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing, a research group based in the province of Ontario.

The U.S. is also the dominant outside supplier of parts, providing about 65% of Canada’s auto-part imports, Trillium said. Mexico has a 14% share.

Overall, Canada had about a C$40 billion ($27.7 billion) trade deficit on motor vehicles and parts in 2023, according to data from Statistics Canada. It’s the largest single category of Canadian imports from the U.S.

North American auto supply chains may have to change depending on how far Trump goes with tariffs, Aquilina said. “We are going to size that up, whether it’s January 21 or later, and work out the best response, and what adjustments we need to make in our business,” said the executive, adding that too many unknowns remain for now.

Detroit-based General Motors makes a limited number of vehicle models in Canada. Its two Ontario assembly plants build Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks and electric vans for commercial use. Another GM plant in the province manufactures engines and transmissions for U.S. factories that make full-size trucks and the Chevrolet Corvette.

Tariffs, if there are no exemptions, will simply end up increasing the cost of vehicles and components traded back and forth among countries, Aquilina said. “It’s an industry that’s been built over a long period of time to assume natural flow of goods.”

Tariffs might also put additional pressure on the Canadian dollar, making it even more expensive to import U.S. parts to build vehicles in Canada, he said. The loonie slumped about 4.5% between U.S. election day and Jan. 17.

That currency weakness is already being felt in the sector, the GM executive added. “The cost of those vehicles for us to purchase, and then sell to our dealers and customers, is getting higher.”

That’s not the only headwind for sales. Canadian governments are phasing out or pausing incentives on electric vehicles, despite a federal policy mandating that by 2035, all new light-duty vehicles sold should be zero-emission. An interim target of 20% has been set for next year.

For GM, Canada is the company’s third-largest market, representing 294,000 vehicles sold last year, about 14% of which were electric. The company has about 8,000 employees in Canada.

Aquilina said Canada should back off the 20% target for 2026 because it’s “unrealistic,” and price reductions to stimulate electric-vehicle purchases aren’t sustainable. “We’re hurting ourselves, and making us weaker in response.” GM’s adjusted profit margin was 6.3% in the 12-month period ended Sept. 30, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

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That, plus those who operate the restaurant are known as “well respected veterans in the hospitality industry.”

Not only was it recently named 2024 restaurant of the year, that honor also made the relative newcomer the first Fairfield County restaurant to capture the state title from Connecticut Restaurant Association.

Bar Rosina’s in Greenwich topped all the others in the CRA’s Crazies awards, where 25,000 votes were cast by the public and industry experts.

CRA president and CEO Scott Dolch, who didn’t have a vote in the awards, said the win “is a big deal in that area, especially a restaurant that is a stone’s throw from the New York line getting recognized as the best in the state.”

The restaurant was opened in August 2021 by longtime friends Chef Jared Falco, 39, and Coby Blount, 40, who specializes in working front of house and is general manager.

The two met working in a restaurant in 2014 and became fast friends with a dream to open their own place.

“I’ve had the opportunity to dine at the restaurant and their food, drinks and overall hospitality was extraordinary,” Dolch said.

Falco, who has been experimenting with cuisine since childhood, as both of his parents worked, later “fell in love with business,” he said.

Receiving the Best Restaurant in Connecticut award, “blew me away,” he said.

“For me it was a surprise. We were significantly younger and never thought we had a shot,” he said.

But Dolch isn’t surprised, he said all the signs of success were there.

“They are both well respected veterans in the hospitality industry in Fairfield County,” Dolch said.

He said Chef Jared was a finalist for Chef of the Year at the CRAZIES in 2022, their bartender Juan Meyer was up for Bartender of the Year in 2022 and the restaurant was a finalist for Restaurant Newcomer in 2022. This is the 6th year of the awards.

“Also know that Chef Jared has a huge chef following among the chef/culinary community, he is a rising star who works hard on his craft day in and day out,” Dolch said.

Guests who have reviewed the restaurant online rave about the food and atmosphere in the restaurant with simple, but elegant decor.

“The food here was fantastic! Awesome drinks and wine list too,” one guest wrote. “Everything is made in house with a clear passion for food. We ordered a lot, and everything was absolutely delicious.”

Another wrote: “We love bringing the family here… The ambience in the restaurant is perfect, with a solid menu and wine list to match. Wood fired pizzas with perfect base/crust and all homemade pasta.”

Blount said they’re going for an “upbeat, energetic vibe,” and reviews indicate that’s been accomplished.

Everything on the menu is from scratch, the pasta, the cheese, and the fresh produce flows from many sources, as the restaurant has a garden, they buy at farmer’s markets and Blount’s father-in-law, a silent partner, contributes from his own massive garden.

The restaurant is named after Blount’s father-in-law/silent partner’s late mother, Rosina, an avid cook and gardener.

Blount said they buy products “hyper local,” including meats.

“We do our best to make guests happy,” Blount said. “I like that every day there’s a new challenge… a new chance to make someone’s day better.”

The menu is brimming with interesting offerings, including appetizers such as ravioli filled with house made ricotta and truffle; octopus and potato with marinara, pimento, lemon aioli; chicken cutlet with house breading, parmesan, lemon; grilled artichoke with garlic aioli.

One online reviewer said Bar Rosina’s Caesar salad is “the best” she’s ever had.

They carry 11 kinds of New York-style pizza, eight pasta dishes and entrees such as center cut veal chop parmesan, Branzino, New York strip, and chicken scarpariello.

One reviewer said Bar Rosina, “Is a place I dream about now.”

“A fantastic restaurant where you walk in and immediately feel at home. The attention to detail is everywhere,” they wrote.

Another reviewer wrote the pasta was “delicate, yet firm,” with the most perfect juxtaposition of mouthfeel.”

Customers say Chef Jared and Blount are quick to engage them.

“These guys are the best,” the reviewer wrote.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that he expects to put 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting on Feb. 1, while declining to flesh out his plans for taxing Chinese imports.

Trump made the announcement in response to reporters’ questions while signing executive actions in the Oval Office on his first day back in the White House.

Trump threatened tariffs of as much as 60% on China during his campaign, but appeared to temper his plans after a phone call last week with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He said Monday there would be more discussions with his counterpart in the world’s second largest economy.

“We’re going to have meetings and calls with President Xi,” Trump said.

Trump is placing a big bet that his executive actions can cut energy prices and tame inflation and that the tariffs will strengthen the economy instead of exposing consumers to higher prices. But it’s unclear whether his orders will be enough to foster the growing economy with lower prices that he promised voters.

Trump specifically blamed the inflation on the $1.9 trillion in pandemic aid provided in 2021 by then-President Joe Biden, while saying that his predecessor’s policies restricted oil drilling despite domestic output being near record levels.

“The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending,” Trump said in his inaugural address.

Orders on Monday included opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil drilling and easing the regulatory burdens on oil and natural gas production. He also declared a national energy emergency in hopes of jumpstarting more electricity production in the competition with China to build out technologies such as artificial intelligence that rely on data centers using massive amounts of energy.

Trump also signed a directive telling federal agencies to conduct a 30-day review of how they can help to lower the costs of housing, health care, food, energy and home appliances as well as finding ways to bring more people into the workforce.

Another measure he signed will keep the social media platform TikTok open for 75 days so it can find a U.S. buyer, instead of shutting it down.

Still, Trump wanted to make clear on Monday in his speeches that he was eager to impose taxes on imports.

Trump pledged in his inaugural address that tariffs would be coming and said foreign countries would be paying the trade penalties, even though those taxes are currently paid by domestic importers and often passed along to consumers. Trump later on Monday said tariffs would “make us rich as hell.”

A top official with the Canadian government said it would be prepared for almost all possibilities regarding the status of trade with the United States.

“Perhaps he’s made decisions to sort of suspend the threat of tariffs over a whole slate of countries. We will wait and see,” Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said. “Mr. Trump has been in a previous mandate unpredictable, so our job is to make sure we are ready for any scenario.”

Overall, the Republican faces an array of challenges with fulfilling his ambitions to lower prices. Biden managed to see the inflation rate drop over two years yet he was leaving office with price growth still outpacing wages over the past four years.

A big driver of inflation is a persistent housing shortage, and U.S. oil production is already at record levels, with producers facing uncertainty about global demand this year. The Federal Reserve is technically the government body tasked with keeping inflation at a roughly 2% annual target. Its usual levers are setting short-term rates for banks lending to each other, in addition to bond purchases and public communications.

Trump has said natural resource production is key to lowering costs for American consumers, both at the pump and in their utility bills.

Energy prices permeate every part of the economy, so increasing U.S. production of oil, natural gas and other fossil fuels is critical to national security. Trump, who has pledged to restore U.S. “energy dominance,” has complained that the Biden administration limited Alaska’s oil and gas production.

Trump showed his relative indifference to the fossil fuels accelerating climate change, even as he lamented natural disasters such as the Los Angeles wildfires. He said he would again withdraw the United States from the landmark Paris climate agreement, dealing a blow to efforts to combat global warming and once again distancing the U.S. from its closest allies.

Energy can impact prices, but it’s not the largest chunk of families’ spending. According to the weightings for the consumer price index, energy spending represents on average just 6% of expenditures, much less than food (13%) or shelter (37%).

Inflation, dormant for decades, resurfaced in early 2021 as the economy recovered with unexpected strength from COVID-19 lockdowns. A surge in customer orders overwhelmed America’s supply chains, causing delays, shortages and higher prices. Factories for computer chips, furniture and other products worldwide struggled to rebound.

Republican lawmakers were quick to blame the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief, though inflation was a global phenomenon that points to factors beyond U.S. policy. Inflation further worsened after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, pushing up energy and food prices.

In response, the Fed raised its benchmark interest rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023. Inflation has come down from a four-decade high 9.1% in mid-2022. But inflation has picked up since September to an annual rate of 2.9% in December.

Voters were unimpressed with the progress against inflation, frustrated that prices remained more than 20% higher than they were four years ago while average weekly earnings had not kept up. Higher grocery prices – up 27% from February 2021 — were especially painful.

After the inaugural address, Trump played down the importance of inflation in the 2024 election, suggesting in remarks at the Capitol that his voters cared more about immigration because there were only so many ways to talk about prices.

“How many times can you say that an apple has doubled in cost?” Trump said.

Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The bitcoin-friendly administration of President-elect Donald Trump and an expanding lobbying effort in statehouses could push states to become more open to crypto and lead public pension funds and treasuries to buy into it.

Proponents of the uniquely volatile commodity argue it is a valuable hedge against inflation, similar to gold.

Many bitcoin enthusiasts and investors are quick to say government-backed currencies are prone to devaluation and increased government buy-ins will stabilize future price swings, giving them more legitimacy and boosting already rising prices.

But the risks are significant. Critics say crypto investments are highly speculative, with so much unknown about projecting future returns. They warn that investors should be prepared to lose money.

Only a couple of public pension funds have invested in cryptocurrency. A U.S. Government Accountability Office study on 401(k) plan investments in crypto, issued late last year, warned it has “uniquely high volatility.” It found no standard approach for projecting the future returns of crypto.

2024 was a landmark year for crypto, with bitcoin surpassing $100,000. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved the first exchange-traded funds that hold bitcoin. Now, crypto enthusiasts are banking on Trump’s promise to make the United States the “bitcoin superpower” of the world.

More legislation on crypto could be coming

Lawmakers in more states can expect to see bills this year to make them crypto-friendly. Analysts say crypto is becoming a powerful lobby. Bitcoin miners are building new installations and venture capitalists are underwriting a growing tech sector that caters to cryptocurrencies.

Meanwhile, a new crypto-friendly federal government under Trump and Congress could consider legislation from Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, to create a federal bitcoin reserve on which states can piggyback.

A bill introduced in November in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives sought to authorize the state’s treasurer and public pension funds to invest in bitcoin. It went nowhere before the legislative session ended, but it caused a stir.

“I had a friend who is a rep down the road text me, ‘Oh my god, I’m getting so many emails and phone calls to my office,’ more than he ever did about any other bill,” said the measure’s sponsor, Republican Mike Cabell.

A bitcoin enthusiast who lost his reelection bid, Cabell expects a colleague to reintroduce his bill. Leaders of bitcoin advocacy group Satoshi Action say they expect legislation based on their model bill to be introduced in at least 10 other states this year.

But what about public pension funds?

Keith Brainard, research director for the National Association of State Retirement Administrators, said he doesn’t expect many public pension fund investment professionals, who oversee nearly $6 trillion in assets, to invest in crypto.

Pension fund professionals take risks they deem to be appropriate, but bitcoin investing has a short track record, might only fit into a niche asset class and may not fit the risk-to-reward profile they seek.

“There might be a bit of dabbling in bitcoin,” Brainard said. “But it’s difficult to envision a scenario in which pension funds right now are willing to make a commitment.”

Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming helped make the state the first to introduce a system allowing people to pay a government agency in cryptocurrencies.

Fleming said he’s not trying to promote cryptocurrency, but rather views it as a recognition that the government must innovate and be flexible about helping people do business with the state. He said he would never invest his money, or the state’s, in crypto.

“My concern is that at some point it’ll stop growing and then people will want to cash in,” Fleming said. “And when they do, it could tank the value of a bitcoin.”

In Pennsylvania, Treasury Department officials said they have the authority to decide for themselves if cryptocurrencies meet the agency’s investment standards under state law and don’t need new legislation.

Still, a highly volatile asset is ill-suited to the agency’s need for predictability, considering it writes millions of checks a year. The overwhelming majority of the roughly $60 billion it invests at any given time is in short-term, conservative investments designed for an investment period of months, officials there said.

Pension boards, which invest on a 30-year time horizon, may already hold small investments in companies involved in mining, trading and storing cryptocurrencies. But they have been slow to embrace bitcoin.

That could change, said Mark Palmer, managing director and a senior research analyst at The Benchmark Company in New York.

Pension boards got investment tools they like last year when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved the first exchange-traded funds that hold bitcoin. In October, it approved listings of options on those funds, Palmer said.

Many “are likely in the process of getting up to speed on what it means to invest in bitcoin and kicking the tires, so to speak, and that’s a process that typically takes a while at the institutional level,” Palmer said.

Several major asset managers like BlackRock, Invesco and Fidelity have bitcoin ETFs.

Some states already are investing in crypto

In May, the State of Wisconsin Investment Board became the first state to invest when it bought $160 million worth of shares in two ETFs, or about 0.1% of its assets. It later scaled back that investment to $104 million in one ETF, as of Sept. 30. A spokesperson declined to discuss it.

Michigan’s state investment board reported about $18 million in bitcoin ETF purchases, while a candidate for New Jersey governor, Steven Fulop, said that if elected he would push the state’s pension fund to invest in crypto.

Fulop, the Democratic mayor of Jersey City, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, has been preparing for months to buy bitcoin ETF shares for up to 2% of the city’s $250 million employee pension fund.

“We were ahead of the curve,” Fulop said. “And I think that’s what you’re eventually going to see is this is widely accepted, with regard to exposure in all pension funds, some sort of exposure.”

Follow Marc Levy on X at: https://x.com/timelywriter.

With it, they promise to “address costs, enhance the reliability of Connecticut’s power grid, increase energy production, and ensure utilities prioritize ratepayers ahead of shareholders.”

But what is actually in the bill demonstrates how difficult it will be to cut costs for electric customers who live at the end of the supply pipeline and whose bills are perennially among the nation’s highest: It proposes nothing specific.

“This bill is an open book,” said Sen. Norm Needleman, D-Essex and co-chairman of the Energy and Technology Committee. “There are no specific things that we are going to talk about at this moment. We are going to listen to all the bills that are coming in. And they are coming in at a rate much higher and faster than the energy committee has ever seen. We are going to listen to ideas from across the spectrum … and then decide what belongs in this bill.”

Essential partners or adversaries?

Challenging legislative policy makers is the fact that there is little they control in the state’s overall energy scheme. In recent weeks, they have tried to shift the focus from disputes over utility regulation to the supply of energy available to the state and region, which will depress rates if it can be expanded. But that has proven to be a formidable challenge.

Connecticut relies almost entirely on natural gas and nuclear power for electric generation.

The state has been blocked from buying into the productive natural gas fields of western Pennsylvania by opposition to a gas pipeline across New York, opposition industry analysts estimate costs New Englanders $1 billion a year in added energy costs.

Connecticut relies heavily on nuclear power generated by Dominion Energy’s Millstone nuclear power station in Waterford. But to guarantee Millstone’s continued operation, the state signed a long term power purchase agreement that, depending on market conditions, requires Eversource and United Illuminating to buy Millstone power at above market rates.

The state is committed by law to expanding its reliance on renewable energy sources. But Gov. Lamont late last year withdrew state’s commitment to buy power in the most recent round of offshore wind development, saying the costs at current auction prices are prohibitively expensive.

Attempts to bring Canadian hydroelectric power and onshore wind from Maine have been slowed or stopped by difficulties with interstate transmission infrastructure.

One aspect of energy policy the state can influence is the regulation of its two electric utilities, Eversource and United Illuminating, and that reality has led to an angry standoff between the utilities and the regulators that has dominated the discussion for months. If unresolved, industry analysts have said it could hurt Connecticut’s energy future by keeping the utilities from acting as essential partners as the state expands electrification to accomodate an anticipated explosion in computing driven by artificial intelligence.

The electric utilities are responsible for just a portion of customer electric bills. On a typical January Eversource bill, the utility was responsible for 40 percent of the total, which includes transmission, accounting for 11 percent of the bill, and local delivery costs, accounting for 29 percent.

The utilities do not profit on the remainder of the bill: the cost of the electricity they buy from power generators and the public benefits portion of bills, which includes things like decarbonization and social welfare programs the legislature requires the utilities to pay for.

High bill and public benefits

The state has regulatory authority over only the 29 percent distribution portion of the typical bill. Because of political pressure to satisfy voter complaints about high bills, the utilities complain that the Public Utility Regulatory Authority has made questionable regulatory rulings to reduce bill totals by cutting the 29 percent over which it has authority.

Even if the regulated portion of the total bill were reduced by another five percent from the current 29 percent, it would mean a monthly savings of just a dollar or two to ratepayers, industry analysts have said.

The utilities complain that regulatory reductions to their revenue are deep enough to require them to slow the pace of capital investment in their Connecticut distribution systems. In the case of Eversource, the utility is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on substations and other electrification upgrades in Massachusetts, but said it is cutting capital investment in Connecticut by more than a half billion dollars over the next five years because it has no assurance PURA will allow it to recover the money through rates.

Utility critics like Needleman say profitability problems are self-inflicted. But independent credit agencies Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s have downgraded both the Eversource and United Illuminating ratings, based on what the agencies call Connecticut’s negative regulatory environment. Downgrades mean the utilities, and their customers, pay more for the hundreds of millions they borrow to finance operations.

The target of the utility wrath is Marissa Gillett, Gov. Ned Lamont’s appointee as chairman of the Public Utility Regulatory Authority. Critics inside and outside the authority have said Gillett has assumed all rate-making authority by pushing her two fellow commissioners out of the process.

Last week, after the Senators introduced their “open book” legislation, Kimberly Harriman, director of government and public affairs for United Illuminating parent Avangrid, called Gillett a “dictator” who has excluded her fellow commissioners from the rate setting process.

Top Democrats have tried to move past the regulatory dispute, asserting that they are focused on expanding energy supply. But the issue is not like to fade away soon.

Needleman, who has become Gillett’s chief defender, reiterated his support last week while taking another poke at what he has called excessive profit taking by the electric utilities. As first selectman of Essex, he said he found fault with Eversource’s responsiveness and brought that concern to the legislature.

“My goal was to make them a better company, more responsible to municipal CEOs and the customers they serve,” Needleman said. “And as I said, there is no desire to hurt these companies. If we have to bring them a little bit around to understanding that the way it was for the prior 20 years is not the way it is going to be. I think we have found a willing partnership with our regulators. And it has been pretty much war ever since then. I’m not excited about that. But I am here to fight the battle for the rate payers.”

Arthur House, PURA chairman for part of the two decade period about which Needleman complained, called the assertion that the utilities profited excessively under lax regulation “blatantly incorrect” and “deeply offensive.” Gillett’s office did not respond to a request to discuss what Needleman referred to as “the war.”

Lamont has renominated Gillett, which could lead to sharp questions during a confirmation hearing later this month.

Republicans have weighed in on the energy debate with proposed legislation of their own, including a bill that, among other things, would expand the number of PURA commissioners from three to five, something Needleman said last week is intended to “dilute” Gillett’s authority.

There were originally three PURA commissioners, but the legislature changed the membership to five in 2019 in order to create a position on the authority for political insider Nick Balleto, who Lamont had removed as Democratic state chairman, according to a half dozen political sources. Balleto never assumed the position and the membership remained at three, even though the revised law remains in effect requiring that PURA “shall” consist of five commissioners.

Competing bills have been filed with the legislature on the size of PURA membership.

Needleman has introduced one that would amend the law back to three PURA commissioners.

House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford introduced a bill Friday that would require five commissioners, the three now appointed by the governor and two named by the House and Senate.

Candelora said last week that Gillett has become too powerful within PURA and has transformed it from a regulatory to policy making body. In addition to expanding membership, his bill would prohibit ex-parte conversations between PURA commissioners, the governor’s office and legislative committees with oversight authority, like Energy and Technology. And it would decentralize decision making by guaranteeing all commissioners administrative support.

“It is supposed to be a regulatory body,” Candelora said. “Not a policy making body. And the chairwoman is operating as a dictatorship. There needs to be sharing of information so all of the commissioners can do their job and provide independent thought in a rate case or in an or in any docket. And instead they are fed only information that she chooses to feed them. And is trying to get a single outcome.”

House Speaker Matt Ritter, a Hartford Democrat, said he has no strong preference for a three or five member PURA. But he said the disagreement around PURA has become a distraction and expanding the agency could end it.

“Whatever happens this session, I want PURA to go back to governing themselves, to respecting all the members and let the legislature focus on lowering energy prices and not worrying about the politics of PURA,” Ritter said. “Because we are getting dragged in constantly to the politics of PURA. I don’t want to be dealing with that.”

“I am one of the people who thinks that going to five will help,” he said. “I have never believed that adding smart people to a table is a bad idea …The chair is not the president of PURA. The chair is one member and they should be voting virtually five zero or three zero on these cases.”

Ritter and Senate President Martin Looney, D, New Haven, had an agreement with Lamont earlier this month to expand PURA to five members by adding former state Rep. Holly Cheesman, an East Lyme Republican, and John Fonfara, a Hartford Democrat. Both have served on the Energy and Technology Committee, which has oversight of PURA. The deal fell apart before the appointments could be made.

One of the challenges lawmakers face in lowering electric rates is past mistakes, one of which is the decision in 1998 to deregulate the energy marketplace. That forced Connecticut’s two regulated electric utilities to get out of the power generation business and concentrate exclusively on delivering electricity purchased from unregulated generators.

Needleman called deregulation “one of our original sins” by putting aspects of the energy business beyond local control.

“It created a whole different marketplace,” he said. “I think it was sold to the state as a panacea and something that was going to make it better and cheaper and more available.”

If there is bipartisan agreement on the state’s energy future, it is a certainty that there will be expansion of nuclear generated electricity in Connecticut’s future.

”Nuclear is part of the solution of our energy future,” said Sen. Ryan Fazio, of Greenwich, the ranking Republican on the Energy and Technology Committee. “It’s environmentally friendly. It’s reliable. And it can be affordable. And hopefully it is more affordable in the future. But it should be cost effective. There is not blank check. But it needs to be part of our energy future.”

There had been a moratorium on new nuclear power construction in the state for 40 years. But the legislature has lifted it for construction on an existing nuclear site, which means Millstone Point in Waterford.

“I think that we are going to revisit that and possibly allow expansion of nuclear beyond the existing nuclear site of Millstone,” Needleman said. “But I think it will be restricted to small modular reactors because I think that is the wave of the future.”

If there were new nuclear construction, it would likely be years before it would come on line.

“I think there is generally broad bipartisan support for new nuclear,” Needleman said. “It is not an immediate fix. It is not a panacea. It is a carbon free resource. And as long as new nuclear is safe, I think you will see that happening here.”

There also is agreement that if the state extends its power purchase agreement with Dominion for Millstone electricity, it must bring in at least two other states as partners in order to spread around the costs of a contract designed to act as a hedge against spikes in the cost of other energy sources such as natural gas.

The one semi-solid proposal made by the Senate Democrats last week could remove some state- mandated programs, like subsidies for residential electric vehicles charges from the public benefit section of electric bills. But that could simply shift costs from electric bills to a government account paid for by taxes.

The Connecticut Green Bank recently announced the closing financing of the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy for the system at the 21,000-square-foot facility. The business provides printing creative design, finishing and mailing services. Hitchcock Printing was founded in 1904 and is located at 191 John Downey Drive.

“The addition of our solar system is a key to staying competitive now and in the future,” said Anthony Bracco, president of Hitchcock Printing in a press release. “State-of-the-art equipment and a highly trained youthful workforce accompanied with a plan to manage our energy costs will ensure that we have an edge in the years to come.”

Monroe-based Smart Roofs Solar Inc developed and installed the 227- kilowatt system.

Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy has helped in more than 400 projects with expected savings of nearly $420 million. Commercial owners are able to install the green energy upgrades and can pay for them over time at low-interest rates.

“We are seeing continued interest in C-PACE from energy-intensive businesses seeking ways to reduce their energy-cost burdens, especially through the addition of solar systems,” said Mackey Dykes, vice president of financing programs at the Connecticut Green Bank. “It’s exciting when companies with long histories in their community, like Hitchcock Printing, take advantage of green technologies to enhance their bottom line.”

The Connecticut Green Bank was established by the Connecticut General Assembly in 2011. It was the nation’s first state-level green bank, and the organization boasts more than 30,000 green jobs in the state and reduced energy costs to 77,000 families, businesses and nonprofits.

Cinnabon, Zumiez, FYE and Torrid all have closed or are in the process of closing sometime this month.

Burlington Stores, formerly Burlington Coat Factory, will be leaving the mall and moving to the nearby Brass Mill Commons and will take the space that was previously occupied by TJ Maxx, which moved to Wolcott Street last fall.

Michaels craft store closed in the Brass Mill Commons this month and the area has a vacancy where TGI Friday’s was previously located.

“The Commons is pretty successful with some setbacks,” said Waterbury Economic Development Director Joe McGrath. “I think the mall is experiencing what most malls are experiencing; that is a future of uncertainty of what is going to happen.”

Despite the mall departures, Waterbury officials see growth in other areas and believe that people are looking at Waterbury as a great investment opportunity.

“The retail landscape has changed, and the mall is a little less than half full,” Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski said. “I think eventually, you will see it repurposed into something else. The model of indoor stores doesn’t seem to be viable at this point.

“Having said that, the owners have kept the facility up and it doesn’t look like it’s falling into disrepair, and it doesn’t look abandoned like some other malls,” Pernerewski added.

McGrath pointed to the additions of Ashley Furniture and forthcoming Altitude Trampoline Park which will share the former Macy’s location in the Brass Mill Center as positives. The former Sears on the opposite side of the building has received some inquiries, but McGrath said nothing has been finalized at this time.

“I think the mall is such a valuable piece of property. It’s right off the highway with 140,000 cars going by every day,” McGrath said. “This area is visible to Interstate 84, and we just have to figure how to transform the property and redevelop it. How and who will do it I’m not 100 percent sure.

“I feel as though there is a lot of potential if you look at stores or businesses with separate entrances,” he said. “It could be used for medical or mixed use. It has to be redesigned. It’s probably going to take a lot of capital to change the brick and mortar.”

When it comes to Brass Mill Commons, McGrath said he believes the vacancies will be filled sooner than later.

“They probably have to be remodeled a little bit,” McGrath said. “There are always cars near Chili’s, Buffalo Wild Wings and the other businesses there, too.”

The Brass Mill Commons also has McDonald’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Five Below, Ulta Beauty, Save A Lot, Petco and Barnes & Noble.

“Plazas have made a comeback”

Meanwhile, two other plazas in the city are experiencing a resurgence. One of the success stories is Waterbury Plaza on Chase Avenue, which is anchored by Stop & Shop and Target, It is nearly at capacity with recent additions of Bath & Body Works, Five Below, Wingstop and Rooster’s Chicken & Waffles, all moving in 2024, and PhoneZone opened this month.

“Trends change in how people want to shop. People seemed committed to going in and out of single stores now. Plazas have made a comeback,” McGrath said.

Elsewhere in the city, the Naugatuck Valley Shopping Center at 950 Wolcott St. has dealt with multiple departures on one wing of the plaza including Stop & Shop, Staples and Bob’s Stores shuttered in 2024, and Party City is in its final days.

Two other wings of the property, one anchored by Walmart and the other by Panera Bread, are both at or near capacity.

“That area where the Stop & Shop was is going under a transformation now, but it’s going to rebound. It has to have a facelift and some changes,” McGrath said.

Across the street at 943 Wolcott St., another retail plaza that has felt a boost with the Stop & Shop moving in as well as the TJ Maxx from the Brass Mill Commons and Petsmart, which moved last fall from 475 Bank St.

Next door, the Price Rite grocery store is slated to move into the former Ollie’s Bargain Outlet at 881 Wolcott St. in May.

“There’s a lot of interest and If you go out to Wolcott Street, that whole area is coming back,” Pernerewski said. “If you have some success then you can build on it. I think a lot of people are looking at Waterbury as a great investment opportunity. We are seeing those plazas do well. The other place you are seeing it is downtown.”

Pernerewski said more than 400 apartments are currently being constructed downtown and many others are in various stages of planning for more in different parts of the immediate area.

“In the very near future, we are on track to have 416 brand new apartment units coming online downtown which is going to help drive that retail space as well. I think a lot of people are seeing Waterbury as a really good investment, and the city coming back. We are making a lot of progress. People are looking to get in now while it’s a good time to get in,” Pernerewski said.

Pernerewski said the construction of the 400-plus apartments are in progress and scheduled to be completed in the next year or so. He added that the city is also in the final stages for choosing a developer for 45-60 units at the site of the former Saint Mary’s Grammar School at 1389 West Main St., which closed in 2018. Those units will be geared toward affordable housing for medical workforce for Saint Mary’s Hospital across the street.

Pernerewski also said the city is also looking at the Republican-American building, the site of the city’s iconic Union Station clock tower, on Meadow Street.

“We are in discussions with a developer to put housing on the top floor there,” Pernerewski said. “We are talking about 40 units we can get in there. Also, in the end of 2023, the city purchased a property on the green called exchanged place which was a large six-story office building with an ancillary building that’s a part of it. There is a vacant retail space down there. At the next Board of Alderman meeting, we are going to be talking about potentially putting about 19 units up there and a restaurant and some retail on the first floor.”

Pernerewski said UConn is looking at the Brown Building downtown which has dorm rooms which are privately owned not associated with the university. He said UConn is looking into buying the property and turning it into their own model of dorms and increasing the number of students living in the building for the UConn-Waterbury campus, which is neighbors with the Palace Theater.

“I think in the next couple of years you are going to see a real resurgence in downtown with a lot more feet on the ground  and that is going to drive the retail and restaurants,” Pernerewski said.

McGrath said throughout the city workers have been replacing infrastructure and piping that is more than 100 years old downtown and in other parts of the city. He added that downtown will have all new infrastructure and sidewalks at the end of the project.

McGrath said work is being done at the at the intersection of Reidville Drive and Harpers Ferry Road for the opening of PAM Health and Catalyst, which is planned to be open by 2026.

McGrath said PAM is an acute care facility inpatient rehabilitation hospital is 55,000 square feet with 42 beds and will treat a variety of ailments and offers physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. He added that about 150 jobs will be coming to the city when it opens.

McGrath also said the Amazon warehouse project in the industrial park on the Naugatuck-Waterbury border is still in the works. The project first was discussed in 2022 and has experienced some delays.

“We are finalizing some details, and we are hoping for the final closure on everything by mid-summer,” McGrath said.

Pernerewski said all of the zoning approvals have been sent in from Naugatuck and Waterbury is in the final stages working with their planning departments for the approvals needed from Waterbury. He said they are in the final stages and said he expects a groundbreaking sometime this year.

Pernerewski said the warehouse would bring a minimum of 1,000 jobs, to Greater Waterbury.

McGrath also mentioned the city has been cleaning up the Brownfields, including a 22-acre property on Freight Street, the former site of the former American Brass Company site, that is being cleaned. In 2022, the city received a $10 million grant for the project.

The property is third of a mile from the city’s train station.

“It’s probably 12 to 18 months before we finish cleaning it and put it on the market,” McGrath said. “We envision a mixed-use development. A city within a city with storefronts, apartments, restaurants. A little of everything can go there.”

McGrath said despite the recent challenges at the Brass Mill Center, the economic development has been “very good” in recent years in Waterbury.

“We’ve been following a plan for the last eight to 10 years in terms of where we want to be,” McGrath said. “I think we are on track to what we want to accomplish over time.”

Well over a century later, the city now is aiming in a big way to build on recent efforts to again raise its profile as a center of innovation — this time in technology. Hartford — now among the poorest cities in the nation — is aspiring to become a center for what is expected to become the most consequential technology ever: artificial intelligence.

Hartford is among more than 30 applicants — municipalities, colleges and universities and economic development groups — vying for funding in a $100 million state program to promote the development of what are considered key innovative industries. Those include biotechnology, financial technology, insurance technology, and advanced manufacturing.

The state is expected to announce finalists this week in the “Innovation Clusters” program, which promises investments up to $50 million. The finalists will be asked to submit more detailed proposals, perhaps collaborating with other applicants with similar ideas. Multiple recipients are expected to be chosen by early fall, according to the state Department of Economic and Community Development, which is administering the program. The funding requires a match from other sources.

“We think that with the kind of corporate footprint we have, and the incredible higher-end institutions we have, here in this region, we can build something truly special, something unique, something that draws folks to this region and builds out a workforce that is unparalleled in this country when it comes to AI,” Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam told a recent gathering of business and community leaders.

Hartford’s AI aspirations could cost as much as $100 million over seven years, beginning first with temporary space and then a permanent location that might take two years to build.

City officials declined to name potential locations for the AI center, saying it’s too early in the planning.

But some say possible candidates could include the area around where the city wants to demolish a former data center, just east of Dunkin’ Park. City officials have said the razing of the data center could clear the way for advanced manufacturing and technology uses, as well as a hotel and apartments. An AI center with laboratory space would likely be combined with other uses, including housing, co-working space and a hotel, according to its application filed with DECD.

Other potential sites are Constitution Plaza and the former Stanley Black & Decker manufacturing accelerator space or even the transit-oriented development envisioned for the site of the decaying One Talcott Plaza. The city is seeking state funds to demolish both the data center on Windsor Street and the Talcott structure, but those requests are pending and are not necessarily assured.

An ‘AI sandbox’

The region’s major insurers — the majority of them with a significant presence in Hartford — have written letters of support for Hartford’s vision for AI. Those include Travelers, The Hartford, Cigna and CVS Health, the parent of Aetna. In addition, other major corporations such as Hartford Healthcare, the parent of Hartford Hospital and six others in Connecticut, and manufacturing giant Stanley Black & Decker have lined up behind Hartford.

Hartford also is drawing support from colleges and universities, which see the core of the city proposal in the Connecticut AI Alliance. The alliance, now being organized to strengthen the state’s approach to AI, sees Hartford’s plans in partnership with industry, academia, non-profits and government to use AI to solve real-world problems.

Jennifer Widness, president of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, said AI technology is evolving so rapidly that no one organization can keep up, and resources are limited so collaboration is necessary.

Hartford’s plan for an “AI sandbox” will help “ensure that our evolution is informed by industry needs so that we may train the workforce of the future and so that we may accelerate innovations in health care, insurance, manufacturing and municipal government,” Widness said, in an email.

Hartford leaders, including City Council President Shirley Surgeon, support the effort because it has the potential to bring AI skills and employment to Hartford residents.

Even with the support, Hartford still must raise the matching funds that are required under the clusters program.

Building on a foundation

An AI center in Hartford would build on a foundation of other software and digital service companies such as GalaxE.Solutions and HCL Technologies that have planted their flags in Hartford in recent years. The biggest boost, however, came in 2018 when India-based tech giant Infosys established a hub at downtown Hartford’s Goodwin Square tower.

Jeff Auker, the city’s director of development services and a former Infosys executive in Hartford, said the AI center would be separate from what the corporations are spending on AI — estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. But collaborations with them are absolutely foreseen, Auker said.

The city also isn’t focusing on the incubator space for start-ups that could too easily relocate, Auker said.

Auker said Hartford’s sweet spot is the area between the large companies and the start-ups. This is where new ideas — some developed at colleges and universities — are tested and worked on in a lab using digital tools that are commercially available.

“There’s a big gap between what the universities do and where does the IP get created,” Auker said. “Where does it get applied to particular problems? So this is the space that we want to play in. We don’t want to take away from investments that Yale, UConn and other schools are putting into it. We don’t want to compete with OpenAI and Microsoft and Google for who can create the best model. That’s trillions of dollars of investments.”

The problems could range from finding ways for municipalities to become more efficient, say, in permit reviews or how police deal with routine reports. The center could help smaller companies who can’t afford to invest in AI to find better ways of doing business. Research could delve into “population health,” the study of the health of certain demographic groups and how to improve it.

‘Most consequential technology’

AI, at its most basic, is technology that allows computers to perform tasks that were previously thought to required human intelligence. AI systems can perceive learn, reason and solve problems, at a quicker pace than humans.

Modern AI has been developing since the 1950s with the advent of the computer. In recent years, new uses have accelerated rapidly: self-driving cars; voice assistants like Siri and Alexa; chatbots and virtual customer service; and “recommendation engines” that use machine learning to suggest products, services or content to user.

Worries over how AI will impact the existing workforce, especially in lower-paying jobs vulnerable to automation, have been highlighted in several high-profile studies. One, from consulting firm McKinsey & Co., pointed to a deepening of the racial economic divide because a disproportionate number of low-wage jobs are held by people of color.

But the 2023 study also noted that AI could “unlock” the path to more high-paying jobs based on experience rather than solely the college degree.

In his farewell speech as president last week, Joe Biden pointed to the double-edge sword of AI.

Biden called AI “the most consequential technology of our time, perhaps of all time.”

“Nothing offers more profound possibilities and risks for our economy, and our security, our society,” Biden said. “For humanity, artificial intelligence even has the potential to help us answer my call to end cancer as we know it. But unless safeguards are in place, AI could spawn new threats to our rights, our way of life, to our privacy, how we work, and how we protect our nation. We must make sure AI is safe and trustworthy and good for all humankind.”

Biden called on America to lead the development of AI, not China.

The coming realization that AI is quickly permeating the workplace was on full display in Hartford last week. Google and Charter Oak State College announced a free online course for adults to learn about AI and how it is expected to dramatically reshape the workplace.

The regulation of AI is expected to be debated at the state Capitol this legislative session. Gov. Ned Lamont said last week he is concerned about regulating the industry because it could stifle innovation. There are already consumer protections in place, Lamont said.

The state Innovation Cluster initiative replaced the earlier “Innovation Corridor” program. Hartford also sought funding in the previous program, targeted to the city’s Parkville neighborhood. The corridor program proved difficult because state funds could only account for 20% of the project. Finding matching funding proved a difficult, if not insurmountable, obstacle. The Innovation Cluster program requires a direct match.

Daniel H. O’Keefe, DECD’s commissioner, said the cluster initiative has two goals: the development of next-generation technology, such as AI, to the benefit of the state’s mainstay industries; and how it can encourage startups to flourish. Both will help build the state’s workforce in the future, O’Keefe said.

“In my background as a technology investor, I’ve seen large waves of innovation,” said O’Keefe, who invested high growth, innovative companies in the software, consumer and fintech markets for 25 years prior to his appointment at DECD. “I lived through the Internet, the mobile Internet, and I think AI has implications that are larger than both of those.”

Reporting by Courant Staff Writer Christopher Keating is included.

Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.

But over the last 10 years The Prospector has done much more than featuring first-run blockbuster movies and sell its very popular popcorn. It’s also a nonprofit that provides a competitive and inclusive work space for people with disabilities, a space that aims to let them flourish and thrive.

“It’s hard to believe that a decade has gone by. We’re incredibly proud of the successes we’ve had since opening,” said Ryan Wenke, executive director. “We’ve welcomed nearly one million moviegoers, worked over 1.1 million hours of meaningful employment, and a staggering $27 million in payroll has been paid to Prospects” (what everyone who works at the theater is dubbed).

The four-screen theater, located at 25 Prospect St. in Ridgefield, sees half of its revenue come from daily operations, and the other half is derived from charitable donations and grants. Also, the theater has a gourmet popcorn business called Prospector Popcorn featuring gourmet popcorn made in the theater’s commercial kitchen. In 2021, the business went nationwide, selling over 135,000 bags and shipping to all 50 states.

The theater features adaptive technology and sensory-friendly screenings, film festivals and premieres, and every year it hosts numerous public and private parties, and welcomes thousands of school students to share their mission.

Upon its opening in 2014, the theater introduced an employment model that broke barriers and highlights how people with disabilities are highly motivated and can successfully run a business.

Approximately 75% of the theater’s workforce self-identify as having a disability.

“We originally planned to hire a maximum of 60 Prospects. When our first job fair received 500 applications, we knew we had to be bigger,” said Wenke. “We’ve increased our employment number two-fold. That increase is direct evidence that we’re qualified for in-demand jobs and have the skills necessary to excel at those jobs.”

The Prospects work every job at the theater.

“We’ve become videographers, projectionists, marketers, bakers, graphic designers, landscapers, public speakers, ushers, party planners, baristas, concessionists, artists, musicians, grant writers, and without question, we have the cleanest theater on the planet,” said Wenke.

Each Prospect is paired with jobs that highlight their strengths and passions, or, as they call it, ‘sparkle.’

“Sparkle is what you love to do, what you’re passionate about.  At The Prospector, we look at the person. When you have an employee doing a job they love, the output will be unparalleled and the guest experience will be memorable,” Wenke said. “During our interview process, we ask every applicant what their sparkle is. It’s our way of getting to know each person, so we can best pair them with a job they love doing.”

Joe Gillotti has been a 10-year Prospect as an usher.

“Those close to me have told me how they’ve seen my life being changed by The Prospector,” Gillotti said. “It’s enriched my life in ways I wouldn’t have imagined. When I first started here I was still living at home; now I’m an independent homeowner and I’m running a small business out of my home. I’ve recently gotten engaged and I’m living an incredibly productive life.”

“When I first got hired I was just excited to have a job. I had no idea it was going to change my life in the incredible way it has,” he said.

The Prospector was founded by Valerie Jensen.

“Val’s passion and lifelong work started when her sister, Hope, was born in 1979 with Down syndrome. After receiving her master’s in education, Val worked as a teacher, then as executive director of an arts non-profit for adults with disabilities in Ridgefield. There, she wrote, designed, developed, and orchestrated live musicals and feature-length films starring adults with disabilities,” Wenke said.

As she created these productions, Jensen was shocked by the number of her friends who were unemployed. “She knew how talented, motivated, capable, and hardworking they were. Her sister, Hope, has always loved working, and Val wanted her friends to experience the joys of competitive, inclusive, and meaningful employment,” Wenke said.

The Prospector is one of the largest employers in Ridgefield.

“The economic impact The Prospector has had locally is remarkable,” said Wenke, noting the theater has 116 Prospects, aged 16-70+, with disabilities including autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and other intellectual and physical disabilities.

“Our human resources team works tirelessly to make sure our scheduling makes sense and that everyone is set up for success. We have a culture of transparency, continuous improvement, competitiveness, and inclusion. We are all held to the same standards of excellence, we don’t create distinction in the form of attire or job position when it comes to self-identification of a disability, and that self-identification is represented throughout our entire organization,” Wenke said.

At The Prospector, nothing is outsourced, everyone is paid competitively, they don’t accept volunteers, and there are no job coaches, Wenke noted.

Since opening day, the town of Ridgefield has been supportive, he said.

“We love our community and their continued support over the last decade has been instrumental to our success,” said Wenke. “The town of Ridgefield is filled with art and culture, and it was great to be able to bring back a movie theater to Ridgefield. Prior to The Prospector, the closest theater was 10 miles away. Every year we welcome 100,000 moviegoers.”

To celebrate the theater’s 10-year journey, the Prospect Productions team created a short film to highlight how the theater is making a difference in the community. “We have an extremely talented production team that storyboard, write, edit, design, film, mix, and star in all of our pre-show and marketing content.  Close to 20 million people have viewed our videos, and Production is a perfect example of debunking the stereotype that people with disabilities are only capable of menial job skills,” said Wenke, adding, “We’re amazing at what we do, because we love what we do.  Our Prospect Productions team is also frequently commissioned to make videos for other businesses.”

The talent of the Prospects encompasses even more, with the theater inspiring the Prospect Band in 2017 that plays at local events and for corporations and parties. It released two albums and is currently at work on its third.

The Prospector is a meaningful place, for both moviegoers and Prospects. “Everyone wants to wake up and know they’re needed, have responsibilities, and contribute meaningfully to society,” said Wenke.  “We want guests to have a memorable experience that goes beyond the film they just watched. When you observe the cleanliness of the building, the professionalism of Prospects, the attention to detail, and our pink glove service, you’re witnessing the most talented yet underrepresented workforce in the world in action.”

Prospector Popcorn can be bought at prospectorpopcorn.org.