Andrew Martelli
By John Murray
Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary signed a lease agreement this morning between the City of Waterbury and Luvata, a global force in the manufacturing of superconducting wires and cables. In 2010 when the City of Waterbury announced they were going to utilize the former Chase Brass factory on Thomaston Avenue as a public works campus, Luvata's space in the factory was reduced, and they explored relocating their operation out of Waterbury. Luvata Waterbury President Jim Lajewski, seated next to O'Leary, credited the mayor for changing the course of the relationship. After being elected in November 2011, O'Leary immediately nixed the public works campus as bad policy. O'Leary said the city should explore ways to use the massive facility to expand Waterbury's economic base, and reached out to Luvata to try and persuade them to stay in the city. The efforts of Neil O'Leary, then Congressman Chris Murphy (now a U.S. Senator), Economic Development Director Ron Pugliese, and Leo Frank and Andrew Martelli of the Waterbury Development Corporation convinced Luvata to stay. Instead of being squeezed out of Waterbury, Luvata is now explanding. "This was a great collaborative effort," O'Leary said today. "To see what Luvata does around the world is amazing, and I'm delighted they are staying in Waterbury." With the signing of the lease, Lajewski said, "The headache and frustration of the past few years is gone."
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By John Murray
Neil O'Leary ran his 2011 mayoral campaign on the central theme of economic development, and he promised, if elected, to deliver a more aggressive approach to business recruitment. O'Leary also vowed to raise the city's profile by taking Waterbury's message of opportunity on the road. And in the first ten months of his administration O'Leary has traveled more than the previous mayor, who was averse to travel, accomplished in ten years in office. O'Leary attended the National Conference of Mayors in Washington D.C. where he had the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama, he led a small contingent of municipal leaders to Idaho on a fact finding mission about a proposed hospital merger, and this week O'Leary is traveling alone to Kentucky to participate in the Mayor's Institute On City Design where he will seek innovative ideas on how to solve transportation issues in Waterbury.
| Login or register to post comments | Tags: Andrew Martelli, Freight Street corridor, Kathy McNamara, Kentucky, Lexington, The Mayor's Institute On City Design, Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary
| Login or register to post comments | Tags: Andrew Martelli, Cass Gilbert, Kevin Taylor, Mayor Mike Jarjura, Waterbury City Hall, Waterbury Development Corporation, WDC