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The Common Council's planning committee wants to create an even larger Enterprise Zone to light a fire under Norwalk's lagging redevelopment efforts. One side of West Ave., including O'Neill's Pub & Restaurant, is already in the zone. The committee wants to cover the other side of the avenue, north of North Main Street, as well as areas to the south, along Woodward Ave. That's in addition to the expansion already proposed by the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency, which would incorporate 95/7 and some additional areas. The 95/7 project, at the intersection of routes 95 and 7 and designed for office buildings, isn't going anywhere fast.
Enterprise Zones are a federal program to encourage economic revitalization. The city's zone lies mostly in South Norwalk. Businesses that invest there receive five-year tax abatements and other incentives. The full Common Council will vote on the expanded Enterprise Zone at its next meeting on April 13. After that, it goes to the state, which has to approve any local requests for creating or expanding a zone.
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