This year Aetna announced it was moving out of Hartford, Connecticut, where it had held it headquarters for over 100 years. The announcement sent shockwaves through an already economically challenged state. How would Aetna leaving have an impact on the local community? a. Restaurants close to the office building may close due to lack of customers. b. Courses in insurance adjustment would no longer be offered at the community college. c. People would move out of Connecticut causing a housing market issue with too many homes for sale d. Employees would no longer exercise at the local park e. There would be vacant office buildings with no property taxes being paid.

When a major company like Aetna leaves a city after having been a staple in the community for over a century, there are significant impacts on the local economy and community. Here are the potential impacts based on the options provided:

a. Restaurants close to the office building may close due to lack of customers. This is quite probable. Businesses such as restaurants, cafes, and retail shops in the vicinity of a large company often rely on the patronage of the company's employees. With Aetna's departure, these small businesses could see a sharp decline in daily customers, which could lead to reduced revenues and, potentially, closures.

b. Courses in insurance adjustment would no longer be offered at the community college. This could happen if Aetna had a close relationship with local educational institutions and if their departure meant that the demand for such courses dropped significantly. The local community college might find it unsustainable to offer these courses if there aren't enough students interested in that career path in the absence of Aetna's hiring presence.

c. People would move out of Connecticut causing a housing market issue with too many homes for sale. Employees of Aetna who are unable or unwilling to relocate with the company to its new location might indeed move out of the area in search of new employment. This could lead to an increased number of homes on the market, potentially lowering home values and creating a buyer's market. This could negatively affect local homeowners’ equity and the overall housing market.

d. Employees would no longer exercise at the local park. While it's possible that the local park would see less use from Aetna employees who previously might have used the park for exercise during their lunch breaks or after work, this is a less significant economic impact and more of a change in the park's usage patterns.

e. There would be vacant office buildings with no property taxes being paid. If Aetna's headquarters were a significant property in Hartford, its vacancy could mean less revenue for the city from property taxes. However, property taxes are still typically owed on vacant buildings unless the owner successfully appeals for a reduction based on diminished value or other factors. The larger impact here is the loss of economic activity the business generated and the cost to repurpose or fill the vacant office space with new tenants.

Extra: The departure of a major employer from a local community can have a ripple effect on the local economy, which is referred to as an economic impact. This impact can be direct, such as the loss of jobs and reduced spending by former employees, and indirect, as other local businesses lose patronage and have to cut back on their own employees or potentially close. There can also be fiscal impacts on the local government through loss of tax revenues not only from the business itself but also from the reduced income and sales taxes as the local economic activity decreases. A city that loses a major business might face challenges attracting new businesses, particularly if the departing business was a key part of the city's identity and economic infrastructure. Initiatives to mitigate such impacts might include economic diversification, investment in attracting new businesses, or repurposing abandoned facilities for new uses.