Norwich - Tracking the monetary and intrinsic value of economic development efforts is difficult, but the Norwich Community Development Corp. reported to the City Council on Tuesday that revitalization programs have generated more than $1 million in revenues to the city through taxes, permit fees and transaction fees, not including utility revenue.

During its quarterly economic development presentation to the council, NCDC officials gave summaries of progress on downtown development projects, the business park and other development throughout the city and the agency's role in any projects.

NCDC Vice President Jason Vincent said the $1 million in public revenues generated translated into more than $6.3 million in "private sector value" of the economic development activities. That includes properties sold, savings to firms provided by the city's efforts, technical assistance and fees earned by some companies working on projects.

Tracking progress and explaining the city's return on the combined $300,000 the city and Norwich Public Utilities contribute to the economic development agency each year is "challenging," the NCDC report says, because of the continued slow regional economy, lack of existing data and because "there is no metric for hustle." Utility revenue paid to NPU by new or expanded businesses, for example, was not available.

NCDC oversees the $3.38 million downtown revitalization program voters approved in 2010 to jump-start the depressed downtown economy. In Tuesday's report, NCDC said $580,000 of the $1 million committed to a downtown lease rebate program has been allocated. Five businesses - two pub restaurants, an attorney office, a dance studio and a retail store - have received the funding, and the agency is working with several other potential applicants.

In the code correction program, a matching grant to help property owners upgrade buildings, $304,000 of the $1.8 million committed to the program has been spent on three downtown properties.

But only $23,000 of the $540,000 in the business loan program has been spent on one business, while NCDC officials said they are working with two additional businesses.

NCDC also oversees the Stanley Israelite Norwich Business Park, where a recent wave of activity has taken place. Dominion, which operates the Millstone nuclear power station in Waterford, is building a new emergency operations center on Stott Avenue, and another long-vacant building on Stott Avenue is under contract to a buyer. Nutmeg Companies recently purchased a building at 1 Ohio Ave., and a building at 9 Wisconsin Ave. also is under contract.

Three new lots just became available in the business park as well.

Following the half-hour presentation, Alderman Mark Bettencourt suggested NCDC officials compare the city's activities to other cities and towns in the region as a means of assessing progress.

Bettencourt said the growth in the city's grand list of taxable properties would be one concrete way to assess NCDC's performance as well.

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday