During his State of the City Address to the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce on Friday, Mayor Mark Boughton proposed a partnership with the City of Waterbury.

Boughton says by almost every measurement, Danbury leads the state in vital economic statistics.  He noted that over three dozen small and medium-sized businesses have opened throughout Danbury over the course of the past year.

The City Council signed off on a strategic partnership this month with Putnam County to share services and facilities, work on economic development projects, and leverage resources to become more efficient.  Boughton says his administration has also begun informal discussions with Waterbury Mayor O’Leary about a new economic development zone that would stretch from exit 1 to exit 25.

Boughton says if one community does not have the right piece of property or the right infrastructure for a company that wants to relocate, this Economic Development Zone would open the doors to recruitment,

retention, and business expansion. Boughton says with two airports, a highly educated workforce, and a solid public transportation system, Danbury to the west, and Waterbury to the east, the Housatonic Valley can be a powerhouse of innovation, job growth, and creativity.