On October 8th, 2015 Econsult Solutions published a report that was commissioned by the Town of Mansfield, Connecticut and the University of Connecticut to analyze the potential impact of UCONN’s Next Generation Connecticut Initiative (NextGenCT). NextGEnCT aims to expand educational opportunities, research, and innovation in the science, technology, engineering, and math. ESI quantified the economic and fiscal benefits that are anticipated to accrue to the Town as well as an enumeration of any net new Town service, education, and infrastructure expenditures that will result from the initiative.

The report shows that the implementation of NextGenCT is likely to have significant economic impacts within the Town economy and significant fiscal benefits to the Town government. An increase of partnership opportunities in transportation, public safety and economic development is also anticipated. Further, the report concludes that the Town is likely to receive larger PILOT payments from the State due to the increase of the assessed value of State-owned land as NextGenCT is implemented.

The ultimate size of the economic gains and expenditure increases will depend on what level of growth NextGenCT will produce in terms of increases in student enrollment, faculty/staff headcount, and economic development spin-off, and on how much the Town chooses to capture the net new demand for residential space and commercial activity generated by that growth.