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Mayor Singh outlines housing, downtown redevelopment and public‑safety priorities in State of the City
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Summary
In his first month in office, Mayor Singh described plans to strengthen the commercial tax base, support mixed‑use and workforce housing projects, invest in public safety and infrastructure, expand civic engagement initiatives, and launch a mayoral dashboard and multilingual website features.
Mayor Singh used his State of the City address to set four broad priorities for his first term: economic growth, housing, public safety and infrastructure.
"Norwich is a city with deep roots, strong and historical neighborhoods, and an amazing waterfront," Singh said, noting he had met with city and state leaders since taking office and that the mayor's office launched a dashboard and website that can be accessed in "over 100 languages." He said the digital tools will make it easier for constituents to request certificates and meetings with the mayor's office.
Singh said his central fiscal goal is to "strengthen our commercial tax base" to ease the tax burden on residents and to attract manufacturing, logistics, clean‑energy and technology employers that provide higher paying jobs. He urged streamlining development applications to speed projects and named two downtown projects — the conversion of an office building at 101 Water Street (Thames Plaza) and the Fairhaven Building at 24 Broadway — as early examples of transit‑oriented redevelopment he hopes to advance in partnership with the Connecticut Municipal Development Authority.
On housing, Singh said the city will promote mixed‑use, workforce and transit‑oriented housing, and expand adult living communities to support seniors. He pledged to tackle blight, support homeownership, and find solutions for residents experiencing homelessness while keeping existing residents from being displaced.
Public safety was framed as "not just about enforcement," Singh said. He described investments in equipment and training for police and fire personnel, and said the administration will explore a new downtown police presence to support mixed‑use redevelopment. He tied safety work to prevention and youth programming, saying investments in mental‑health services and youth opportunities also contribute to public safety.
On infrastructure, Singh pointed to long‑standing needs — roads, bridges, utilities and a sewer treatment plant project — and called out the Occam Industrial Center as an investment expected to grow the local tax base. He also announced a multi‑year plan for school construction, stating the city will deliver a new elementary school, Santam, this year with additional projects to follow.
Singh closed by describing planned civic initiatives: an annual civic education seminar for youth, a quarterly community and trust panel to advise the mayor, a mayor's newsletter, and a monthly local business recognition program working with partners such as NCDC and the Greater Area Chamber of Commerce. "With focus, discipline, and unity, Norwich can grow the way that is fair, inclusive, and sustainable," he said.
The address sets the mayor's agenda; the administration will now translate the priorities into department work plans and, where applicable, proposed ordinances, budgets and contracts that will come before the council.
