Windy skies and a steady downpour weren’t enough to dampen spirits in Waterford on Friday morning as local officials, construction workers and business leaders gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of General Dynamics Electric Boat’s new campus. 

Work on the roughly 800,000 square foot facility, which will reuse the former Crystal Mall complex, is well underway. The majority of the mall was acquired last year, and the remaining tenants moved out of the building in the spring. 

When renovation work is completed, the campus will house office and software development space as well as facilities for training and workforce development. Some 4,000 to 5,000 employees are expected to work at the campus, which is expected to open in 2027. 

The facility will make Electric Boat, a defense contractor responsible for supplying the military with submarines of varying sizes, the largest employer in Waterford. The company recently celebrated a $76.6 billion contract with the U.S. Navy, one of the largest shipbuilding contracts ever awarded. 

The contract, which comes amid a hiring push for the company, further cements the need for Electric Boat’s expansion, speakers said Friday. 

“This groundbreaking signifies our long-term commitment in Connecticut but also in  all of you and all the workforce,” said Electric Boat President Mark Rayha. 

But speakers also acknowledged that the campus marks something even greater for southeastern Connecticut: a new economic opportunity, one that could usher in a wave of growth and once-in-a-generation investment in the local workforce. 

It’s a new chance for revitalization and commercial activity in the region, built using a space that supported earlier waves of development. Now, as renovation work begins, supporters say that the reused mall will become the backbone of the region’s economic comeback. 

“For decades, the Crystal Mall was part of the fabric of our community. We shopped here, we worked here, we brought our families here,” said Waterford First Selectman Rob Brule. “Today we aren’t here to talk about what this property used to be. We’re here to celebrate what it’s about to become.”

Crystal Mall is trying on something new

The mall redevelopment, DECD deputy commissioner Matt Pugliese noted, is one of the largest reuses of an existing property in the state. The redevelopment work comes as DECD looks to support projects around the state that will breathe new life into old buildings, part of a larger effort. 

A place like the Crystal Mall, speakers said, is a natural fit for this work.

“Malls simply cannot meet the kind of commerce that we see today in the United States of America,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal. “Electric Boat, with typical ingenuity and innovation, is, in effect, putting new wine in old bottles.” 

When completed, the Waterford campus will complement submarine production efforts by providing additional space for administrative staff, software developers and new trainees. Submarine production work will continue in nearby Groton, where Electric Boat’s shipyard is located. 

As renovations continue, parts of the Waterford campus will house temporary training spaces for new employees. A more permanent location on the campus known as SAIL, or the Shipbuilding Advanced Institute for Learning, is set to open in the near future. 

When fully operational, SAIL is expected to support close to 400 shipbuilders and will also include support for welding, advanced technology work and additional innovations. 

“We’re really celebrating bringing this place back to life,” said Courtney Murphy, Electric Boat’s director of talent acquisition, workforce development and compensation. “Seeing this plan take shape and now become reality is truly inspiring because it is more than just a groundbreaking. It’s the start of a new chapter in how we grow, train and support the shipbuilders who carry our mission forward.” 

The growth comes as the company continues a larger expansion, including hiring a projected 8,000 workers this year, more than double what it hired in 2025.

And in a region that has long struggled to find stable economic footing, the hope is that Electric Boat’s growth will have effects that will be felt across Connecticut more broadly. 

“This is just going to be one of those milestones that our children and grandchildren are going to experience,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney. “It’s a big deal.”

A deeper economic shift

The hoped-for economic transformation, coming to a region that has long relied on the manufacturing industry, is expected to bring significant change, and thousands of new workers, to the area. 

Local officials are gearing up to meet the demand and figuring out how to support the workers expected to flood into the region in the coming years. The region is facing a housing shortage, with low stock and rising costs squeezing the market further. The area needs thousands of new homes to support the expected workforce. 

Still, the hope is that the influx will usher in a larger wave of economic activity in the region, rippling out from Electric Boat and driving increases in tourism, recreational activities and other industries. 

Electric Boat says that for now, its focus is on meeting its hiring and workforce goals.

Local officials, meanwhile, say they are prepared to do their part as the region looks ahead. Hundreds of new housing units are in development, with more on the way. 

“We’ll support responsible housing. We’ll invest in infrastructure. We’ll continue to work closely with DECD. We’ll support our businesses and schools,” Brule said. “Growth isn’t about getting bigger; it’s about getting it right.”