New London residents have gotten plenty of long-overdue good news recently.

The redevelopment of the Fort Trumbull peninsula is finally looking more certain. Plans for a much-needed community center are progressing. A groundbreaking for the long-delayed National Coast Guard Museum appears likely to happen this summer. New apartments are being built or were recently completed in several locations. Several downtown properties will be improved thanks to federal emergency coronavirus pandemic funds. The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut will soon move its headquarters and open a co-working space at a vacant commercial building on Eugene O'Neill Drive. Work to transform State Pier into a hub for the wind energy industry is moving along.

And just last week, Mayor Michael Passero proposed a city budget that includes — for the fourth consecutive year — a property tax cut. This proposed 1.72% tax decrease, which would amount to a $68 annual savings for a property owner with a house assessed at $110,000, is especially good welcome for residents who have long paid some of the highest property taxes in the region.

In presenting his budget proposal, Passero's tone was decidedly upbeat. He said the city is on solid financial ground and "firing on all cylinders."

"You only need to look around the city and see the construction cranes and the changing skyline," he told the City Council. "Land that has been empty for decades is under construction or has already been built out and is now on our tax rolls."

He continued: "We should all be proud of New London's newfound status as an economic success story."

While we are somewhat more cautious in our optimism about the city's overall future than is the mayor, and we remain aware that the city still has some major problems such as a hefty amount of blighted housing and a high poverty rate to overcome, we do agree New London has much to collectively celebrate in this moment. In a city whose downtown business district and vibrant arts scene was especially hard-hit by the pandemic, where empty storefronts and commercial buildings proliferate, and where local news more often focuses on crime and challenges in the public schools, this long list of economic good news deserves notice and the state and local officials who helped foster it should receive a collective round of applause.

Chamber president and CEO Tony Sheriden, in announcing late last month his organizations' decision to buy the New London building, said the move meets the chamber's goals to be close to the region's largest employers and also close to traditionally underserved populations.

Stephen Coan, chairman of the chamber's board, also pointed out New London's assets, especially its connections to the so-called blue economy focused on the sustainable use of ocean resources to drive economic development. "The real work of the chamber is economic development and today we celebrate a city that's really developing in incredible ways," Coan said.

We at this independent news outlet are proud of our home city, with its rich seafaring heritage, its lively arts and music scene and its long and significant history. Even as our own building is now being marketed, we remain committed to the Whaling City and have pledged to continue to make it our home into the future. We are now more optimistic about the city's potential and see tremendous strength in its diverse and dedicated citizenry.