Preston – The former Norwich Hospital property should be renamed the Riverwalk at Preston and should be marketed as the centerpiece of a regional Thames River Valley economic development effort, a team of national real estate experts who spent this week in town studying the potential development at the site.

The four-member team from the Counsel of Real Estate gave a 90-minute presentation this morning after spending five days reviewing written plans, touring the 393-acre property, interviewing dozens of local and regional political and economic development leaders.

“You have opportunities here to pick up a regional focus,” CRE team member William Norton of New Hampshire said at the start of the presentation.

Preston’s location is in the center of New London County, and also is central between Providence and Hartford and that geography could be extended out farther on the regional map. But the group said it’s unlikely that the site will attract one major development and recommended concentrated on several smaller developments ranging from housing to tech businesses to educational and recreational facilities.

Member David McCoy of Hawaii called it a “good idea” when resident Michael Clancy asked if the town should consider placing municipal offices on the property as an early investment.

Team members said town leaders should always keep in mind two concepts when recruiting development – raising the tax base and adding quality jobs to the region. But, they also stressed, nonprofit entities such as a community college and park land should be included as well to raise the quality of life and make the region more attractive to the tax paying entities and employers.

The key recommendation repeated often during the session was to bring regional experts to the effort to market the property. The group said switching the name from Preston Riverwalk to Riverwalk at Preston would emphasize the riverfront asset first. The regional marketing effort should be centered on that same concept, the Thames River Valley, the group said.

Norton said as the Preston Redevelopment Agency shifts from environmental cleanup – 85 percent of the buildings now have been torn down – to marketing, it should bring in regional elements to the volunteer town agency – and should change its name to Riverwalk at Preston Redevelopment Agency.

Several leaders from outside Preston attended the presentation, including Ledyard Mayor John Rodolico, Montville Mayor Ronald McDaniel, Norwich Community Development Corp. President Robert Mills, Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments Executive Director James Butler and Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region Executive Director C. Stephen Mackenzie.

Mackenzie said the timing of the Riverwalk property marketing also is good from a regional perspective, as SeCTer starts reaching out to municipalities to write a new Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy plan for the region in 2016.

Following the presentation, First Selectman Robert Congdon welcomed the concept of adding regional expertise to the PRA. He said Preston hopes to work closely with Norwich Public Utilities for example on the need to bring utilities to the property. He said task force committees could be established on specific issues with regional experts participating.

“This was very impressive,” Mills said. “I think this is going to end up driving the region, the Thames River Valley concept. By joining together in an effort to market the region, we can have successes throughout the region. I think this is the key right here.”

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday