Economic Development and Developers in the News This Week

Economic development and developer news from 33 out of 50 states. April 9th, 2021 weekly edition. 

Alabama

New development project will bring 1,200 new jobs to Mobile County.

New director, new direction: Amy Sturdivant takes helm of 58 INC.

Alaska

Innovation Summit explores strength of localized economies.

Arkansas

When voters decided not to renew a county-wide economic development tax in 2013, it left Batesville and smaller communities without a well-funded economic development program to turn to for guidance. That is one of the reasons the city is creating its own Economic Development Program with Crystal Johnson, chief executive officer with the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce.

California

As Fresno County reopens, Kingsburg sees fruition of projects. (Jolene Polyack)

San Diego launches brewery economic development website. (Christina Bibler)

After three months of job losses during a devastating surge in Covid-19 cases, Los Angeles County’s economy finally perked up in February. (Shannon Sedgwick)

Neighborhood association nervous as Aggie Square project moves forward.

Colorado

Pat Meyers to steer Colorado’s post-pandemic economic recovery efforts.

Connecticut

Governor Lamont highlights commitment to build economic growth in southeastern Connecticut. (Felix Reyes)

Florida

St. Johns County advances $23 million incentive deal for unnamed tech firm.

Flagler County's population at one point had the highest growth rate in the state, and it's once again rising — but the county faces impediments to economic growth in the form of a lack of attainable housing and limited land available for commercial and industrial use. (Dolores Key)

Georgia

Four of the largest economic development projects, construction projects in the state of Georgia, are ongoing or soon to begin in DeKalb County.

West Point preparing for huge economic developments. (Meghan Duke)

Hawaii

Maui County economic development office hosts virtual grant training workshop(JoAnn Inamasu)

Indiana

Duke Energy awards $90,000 in Marketing Partnership Program grants to 18 Indiana economic development groups: Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance, Inc., City of Fishers Economic Development Office, City of Noblesville Economic Development Office, East Central Indiana Regional Partnership, Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance, Inc., Grow Wabash County, Hancock County Economic Development Council, Huntington County United Economic Development Corporation, Invest Hamilton County, Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation, Jennings County Economic Development Commission, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, Orange County Economic Development Partnership, Purdue Research Foundation, Economic Development Office, Rush County Economic and Community Development, South Central Indiana Economic Development Group, Success Warrick County, and Vermillion Rise Mega Park.

Kansas

Bourbon County Economic Development Council is working to find a full-time economic development director, facilitate the starting of the new meat process plant, facilitate a new multi-purpose arena, and expanding housing in the area.

Kentucky

The Boyle County Fiscal Court discussed entering into an interlocal agreement with Danville to form an Economic Development Authority.

Louisiana

With a new president comes new beginnings for the North Louisiana Economic Partnership. And the future of the twin cities is looking bright; they now has a new president and CEO. (Justyn Dixon)

Maryland

Anthony Featherstone, executive director of Worksource Montgomery, Inc. , and Brad Stewart, senior vice-president of business development for Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation will join Council member Katz Friday to discuss the Montgomery County’s economic development and the evolution of entrepreneurship. They will also talk about employment in critical county industries including technology, healthcare and construction.

Massachusetts

Dracut, Massachusetts: Friendly, safe, and progressive.

Framingham council okays a $250K economic development study. The study will, in part, identify feasible development opportunities, test the effects of growth, develop public acceptance for feasible opportunities in specific target areas and provide a land-use foundation for citywide transportation planning. RKG Associates, a Boston consulting firm which conducted Phase I of the city’s Economic Development Strategic Plan in 2018, was selected to conduct Phase II of the study.

Michigan

Kalamazoo Commissioners work to recruit new residents and improve economic development.

The City of Farmington has earned a state certification that brands the community as “Redevelopment Ready.” (Michele Wildman)

Central Michigan University Research Corporation (CMURC) is exploring new opportunities to facilitate strategic industry research, education, and workforce partnerships. (Erin Strang)

For the past several months Cass City village leaders have been working on a plan to become a certified-level Redevelopment Ready Community. The project has been completed in three phases, and the final phase is now complete. (Joshua Prusik)

Mississippi

[]Pearl River County’s Board of Supervisors hired](https://www.picayuneitem.com/2021/04/pearl-river-county-hires-new-economic-development-director/) Lindsey Ward as the new county Economic Development Director.

Missouri

The St. Louis Development Corporation received a $474,000 federal grant to support entrepreneurs. The city will use that grant along with more than $139,000 in local matching funds to launch Tech STL, a consortium of entrepreneur support organizations, business groups, training entities, and economic development organizations.

The future of economic development in St. Louis will be in the hands of new leaders: Otis Williams spent more than two decades at the St. Louis Development Corporation, where he became director in 2013. He’s departing after laying the groundwork for a shift in the way the city does business with developers.

Montana

The U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded a nearly $2 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to establish a revolving loan fund for businesses through Big Sky Economic Development. (Brandon Berger)

Nebraska

Gov. Pete Ricketts Tuesday named North Platte the winner of the 2021 Governor’s Showcase Community Award for outstanding economic development achievements.

New Jersey

The Mayor of Monroe proposed the creation of a township Economic Development Advisory Board in efforts to promote economic growth and job creation by aligning local business leaders with elected officials to maximize the talents of the community and its workforce.

New Mexico

A Santa Fe-based meat manufacturer and butcher shop planning a big expansion in the city with the help of state and local economic development help.

New York

The Center for Economic Growth and the Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economyrevealed a new strategy and branding campaign called CapNY to sell the region to both those who live there now and others who could move there. (Katie Newcombe)

North Carolina

Martie T. Butler, Economic Developer for Richmond County, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Economic Development Advisory Committee of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

Adrienne Cole, CEO of the greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, talks with Wake Economic Development’s Michael Haley and Ashley Cagle about recent announcements from Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies and Google in this interview.

Two major economic development projects planned for southern Rowan County. (Rod Crider)

After three-and-a-half years in the position, Carteret County Economic DevelopmentDirector Don Kirkman is retiring from his post effective Wednesday, June 30

Local officials have begun trying to figure out how they might add a ready-to-use “shell building” to the third phase of the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park to make it more enticing to companies looking to expand or relocate. Christian Lockamy gave a presentation on the idea to County Commissioners this week, and is scheduled to follow suit for the Henderson City Council next week.

North Dakota

Grand Forks Jobs Development Authority OK's changes to economic programs. The move raises the loan cap for the city's program for businesses, and clears the way to revert to local control the city's long-functioning revolving loan program.

Ohio

Logan County Commission may separate economic development from county admin.

City of Belpre has revealed an economic plan that will guide future economic development projects. The plan has been in the works since late 2019. It covers issues ranging from housing to outdoor recreation to zoning.

Fostoria Economic Development Corp. President Renee Smith updated the Seneca County commissioners on $34 million in Fostoria economic development projects last year and more coming up this year.

South Dakota

Black Hills Power intends to spend less this year on encouraging economic development in western South Dakota.

Texas

Opportunities for growth continue in Pearland’s Lower Kirby District, a 1,200-acre development fronting South Beltway 8 and State Highway 288. This master-planned district includes urban residential, office, retail, a technology/research campus and light manufacturing all linked by landscaped boulevards with walking trails and parks. (Matt Buchanan)

Lewisville approves economic development package to bring restaurant to Old Town (Jason Moore)

A report released Thursday by the South Texas Economic Development Center at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi indicates the Coastal Bend's economic activity has begun to pick up.

The City of Sugar Land has authorized a contract with Ernst & Young, LLP Economic Development Advisory Services, in the amount of $147,805, for a Workforce and Target Industry Analysis.

Vermont

Governor Phil Scott and his Administration today presented a plan to strategically invest $1 billion in one-time federal money provided to states to jumpstart recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic and support long-term economic growth.

Virginia

Stephens City is considering whether it should create its own Economic Development Authority.

Washington

Garry Clark has taken the helm at Economic Alliance Snohomish County, where job one is pandemic recovery.

West Virginia

Largely thanks to a 20-year relationship with the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation, a Monroe County manufacturer now owns a slice of the Fountain Springs Industrial Park near Peterstown. (Chase McClung)

Recent talk of combining metropolitan statistical areas in southern West Virginia sounds like a good idea, but from a practical standpoint it’s a lot different, according to Terrell Ellis, executive director of Advantage Valley.

Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation published a report, Wisconsin Tomorrow: Building an Economy for All, setting out their comprehensive strategy to invest in people to help Wisconsin recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Missy Hughes).