Image courtesy of the town of East Hartford

East Hartford officials are trying to put a new face on their community amid a wave of development interest.

The town used a grant to hire marketing company North Star Place Branding + Marketing and spent two years of research and community engagement to come up with new logos and a new tagline, “Elevate Here.”

That logo combines a stylized image of the Connecticut River being crossed by the arches of the Bulkeley Bridge, but where the bridge’s curved supports are rotated to become an arrow pointing forward.

The town seal will still be used for legal, official and ceremonial purposes, the town said in its announcement Friday.

“In an increasingly competitive and mobile world, communities must clearly present what they stand for, to residents, prospective residents, visitors, and businesses alike, to instill confidence in choosing that community,” Mayor Connor S. Martin said in a statement. “This is essential to ensuring long-term economic health and vibrancy. While we recognize there is work to be done, this new brand identity establishes the standard to which we hold ourselves accountable, aligning our actions with the reputation we aspire to build.”

The town is the longtime home of jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney, but in recent years has become the site for several high-profile real estate developments, including National Development’s two huge logistics hubs on the site of a former airfield, and the University of Connecticut’s football stadium.

The biggest development planned for the future is an effort to turn a decayed, disused collection of offices and parking lots at the foot of the Founders Bridge into a large, mixed-use destination.