Cathy Osten

Electric Boat Official Joins Senator Osten for Tour of Norwich Apartments

NORWICH—State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) hosted Electric Boat Vice-President of Human Resources Moira Dunn on a tour of the new Lofts at Ponemah Mills apartment complex in Norwich in an effort to promote the apartments to EB as potential living space for its thousands of future submarine workers.

Sen. Osten recently met with EB executives who asked Sen. Osten to try and secure state aid for job training and infrastructure investments as well as their need for affordable, area housing for the 4,000-plus new employees EB will hire over the next several years.

“When I went down to Electric Boat a few weeks ago to meet with EB President Jeff Geiger, I asked him what he thought he needed from the state in the way of economic development, and if there were any the challenges they are facing. He said affordable housing for their future workforce,” Sen. Osten said. “I mentioned that I know of an old mill in Norwich that has been rehabilitated into apartments and has many of the amenities that I believe young millennials would appreciate, and I invited Moira to tour Ponemah Mills. The thousands of new employees that Electric Boat plans to hire are going to need somewhere to live.”

Dunn and Sen. Osten, along with Fin O’Neill, who is director of operations with mill developer Onekey LLC, toured the apartment complex today for over an hour, beginning with the outdoor grilling area with fire pit and Adirondack chairs to the indoor bar, mini movie theater, exercise studio with sauna and steam room, and into the various 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartment layouts that feature wiring for high-speed Internet, smoke alarms, washers/dryers, stainless steel appliances, central air and heat, maple cabinetry and ceiling fans. Ponemah Mills is located right off I-395 and along the Shetucket River.

“It’s a terrific building,” Dunn said. “It seems just like the type of place our employees would want, whether it’s the first place they are living or some place they are moving up to.”

“My idea is to market the Norwich region,” Sen. Osten said. “This is a region for good jobs, for good housing, and it’s got good communities to live in. It’s the total package.”