Maybe Claire Gaudiani’s hip little city is coming to life.

I don’t think there is much question that evolving plans by Maine-based developer High Tide Capital to significantly expand its footprint in New London are the most significant and consequential commercial investments in the downtown since the urban renewal projects of the 1960s.

But the exciting new projects by High Tide, which is in the process of buying two big iconic properties on Eugene O’Neill Drive, The Day and the former Savings Bank of New London, in addition to the developer’s two other major downtown redevelopment projects, aim to restore some of the city’s historic luster, rather than simply bulldoze the past.

New London seems to have finally found its savior after decades of trying and failing. Has any struggling little city been left at the altar so many times over so many years by so many smooth-talking, disappointing suitors?

Remember the city’s recent gift of prime developer status for the waterfront to a developer promising a mega-yacht port with floating hotels, even though he had zero experience building any such thing?

The city has always been as easy mark for fast talkers. Some of the most significant building stock has been held too long by blight-enabling speculators with no renovation plans. The city should lean harder on them.

Not only has High Tide already established an excellent redevelopment track record right here, but it’s work ― funded in part with opportunity zone and historic tax credits ― is exactly what the landmark city needs. And there is now a lot of it in the pipeline.

I can’t help but think that much of what Gaudiani ― the Connecticut College president who was forced out of office for her aggressive, eminent domain-fueled redevelopment work in the city ―envisioned so long ago is actually beginning to take shape.

She even had a name for what she hoped to create: a hip little city transformed by young professionals choosing an urban lifestyle in the historic downtown.

It’s been more than 20 years, but Gaudiani’s idea of luring a Fortune 500 company here, a strong employment base, seems to be paying off.

Pfizer, Gaudiani’s initial recruit, ended up building its world research headquarters near the downtown, took the tax credits and then never filled all the office space. General Dynamics, on the other hand, after buying Pfizer out, is paying taxes and hiring so many people who need housing that Gaudiani’s downtown renaissance seems to be finally unfolding.

Gaudiani seemed so confident that her plans would result in downtown development that she used college money to invest in some major buildings. And she tried, but got faculty pushback, to move classes downtown from the campus on the hill.

High Tide has already leased one of its projects, the Manwaring Building on State Street, to the college for student housing. I’d like to see more of that collaboration, as the college continues to cope with a lack of housing space on campus and High Tide begins to hone plans for all the space it is acquiring on Eugene O’Neill Drive.

Some legends have it that Gaudiani, a devout Roman Catholic, developed some of the ideas for remaking New London during a retreat at a convent. There were many good ideas in her vision, but, in the end, she made too many enemies and did not work enough on collaboration, on the hill or down in the city.

Hopefully, enough time has passed for the college to accept some of her vision of creating more synergy and partnerships with its host city. You don’t have to look much further than Providence, to see a good example of colleges helping their home town.

Four colleges in Providence this week pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to the city, in lieu of taxes, over the next 20 years.

I think New London would be grateful for the college putting a bigger footprint downtown. And it seems like that would be easy now, given the existing partnership with High Tide and all the water under the bridge since Gaudiani overplayed her hand.

Hip little city sounds better than ever.

This is the opinion of David Collins.

d.collins@theday.com