pottawattamie county alliance - Council Bluffs: Iowa's Leading Edge

Pottawattamie County Growth Alliance7 N. Sixth StreetCouncil Bluffs, IA 51503Ph: 712-325-1000 Fax: 712-322-5698www.councilbluffsiowa.comgrowthPOTTAWATTAMIE COUNTYALLIANCEQUARTERLY REPORT JULY - SEPTEMBER 2007Roundtable 1by owners and managersIndustryEMPLOYMENT July 2007 Aug 2007 % Change Aug 2006 % ChangePartnership brought together aQand provided many useful approaches for Quarterly Indicators 4City of Council Bluffsgroup of business owners andlocal employers to tackle the challenges3Labor Force 33,240 32,650 -1.77% 32,220 1.33%of Iowa’s looming worker shortage.I NDICATORSseeking to achieve a greaterLoopNet 1understanding of commonDowntown Summit 2business needs through education,communication and interaction.100 Block Redevelopment 3New Call Center 3In July, the Greater Council Bluffs Roundtable participants listen to Mark Grey’spresentation on the looming workforce shortage.Regional Economic DevelopmentPromotional Award 3Employment 32,060 31,540 -1.62% 31,110 1.38%Unemployment 1170 1110 -5.13% 1110 0Unemployment Rate 3.5 3.4 3.4 0Pottawattamie CountyTotal Nonagricultural 42,010 41,630 -.90% 40,620 2.49%Goods-Producing 9,890 9,720 -1.72% 9,010 7.88%Service-Providing 32,120 31,910 -.65% 31,610 .95%Government 5,180 5,090 -1.74% 4,570 11.38%CONSTRUCTION Q3 2006 Q3 2007 % Change YTD 2006 YTD 2007Number of UnitsSingle-Family 51 53 3.92% 180 131Two-Family 2 0 -100% 8 4Multi-Family 0 0 0 18 172Total 53 53 0 206 307Valuation (x 1000)Single-Family $5,070,000 $6,520,000 28.6% $20,520,000 $16,110,000Two-Family $230,000 0 -100% $460,000 $240,000Multi-Family 0 0 0 $1,680,000 $18,350,000Total Valuation $5,300,000 $6,520,000 23.03% $22,660,000 $34,700,000Greater CB Partnership InitiatesIndustry RoundtableBEducation ◆ Communication ◆ InteractionWestern Iowa Business NetworkAn inclusive association ofbusiness and industry representedupper level managers to begin theplanning for and implementation ofan industry roundtable program.Titled the Western Iowa BusinessNetwork, the program is focusedon creating opportunities foreducation, communication andinteraction for local industryleaders. It had its inauguralindustry roundtable titled, “Iowa2013 - Hey! Why Can’t I Hire AnyWorkers?” on October 10th at theMid-America Center in CouncilBluffs. Industry leaders from thethree county region attended theluncheon with a keynote speakerand an afternoon implementationseminar. Dr. Mark Grey, fromthe Iowa Center for ImmigrantLeadership and Integration, ledan engaging presentation on thechanging demographics of IowaThe Partnership received very positivefeedback on the roundtable. 100% ofparticipants indicated they would likethe roundtable events held on a quarterlyor semi-annual basis. One attendeecalled it, “The best presentation I’veever seen.”During the industry roundtable event,the Partnership introduced the “BusinessResource Guide”.The Guide wascreated to providean easy resourcefor informationon workforce andtechnical andfinancial programsavailable to assistbusinesses.IN THIS ISSUEGood News! Theavailable sites andbuildings database isnow powered byLoopNet!Check it out at:www.iowasleadingedge.com

July-August-September 2007Participants gather in the Masonic Templeto listen to the opening session by Fran andBill Lytle of Brand Champs titled, “She’sGot the Power.”Lunch was catered by Skeeter Barnes whileparticipants relaxed and enjoyed BaylissPark.An evening reception for networking andenjoying a taste of local history at the UnionPacific Museum.August 28 & 29 - Visitors come from across the state to enjoy Downtown CouncilBluffs for the Iowa Resource Center’s 21st Annual Downtown Summit.Downtown SummitShowcases Council BluffsIn the final days of summer, 268Iowans from all over the statebraved the heat to visit DowntownCouncil Bluffs and attend “Back tothe Basics”, the 21st Annual IowaDowntown Summit held August 28and 29 in Council Bluffs.During the Summit, nationallyrenowned experts in downtowndevelopment offered informativesessions on how rural and urbancommunities across Americaare creatively addressing therevitalization of their city centers.“This is the only statewideeconomic development conferencefocused on the unique issues facedby downtowns,” said MichaelTramontina, Iowa Department ofEconomic Development Director.“This event offers an exceptionalopportunity for Iowa’s communityleaders to learn about the latesttrends and techniques being usedacross the country to develop strong,vibrant, and sustainable downtownareas.”The conference also highlighted thetransformation happening locally.Attendees attended sessions inBayliss Park Hall, the Library, andthe Masonic Temple and enjoyed aBBQ lunch in Bayliss Park by SkeeterBarnes. Several local tours wereoffered showcasing Council Bluffsbeautiful historic neighborhoods, thestreetscape mosaics and the Historic100 Block. And after the sessionsconcluded, an evening receptionwas held at the UP Museum forsocializing and networking. All inall, everyone seemed impressed withthe efforts being made to improvedowntown.“We could not be more pleased withthe warm remarks from attendeesand their recognition of progresshappening in our community.”Stated Mark Norman, Vice Presidentof Economic Development at theChamber, “We are grateful to allthose that contributed to the successof the Summit and to the IowaDowntown Resource Center forselecting Council Bluffs to host thisyear and giving us the opportunity toexhibit all the great things CouncilBluffs has to offer.”100 Block RedevelopmentCalling all developers! This fall, the Pottawattamie County DevelopmentCorporation (PCDC) sent out a request for proposals to local, state andregional developers for the redevelopment of the properties spanningfrom 117-153 W. Broadway. PCDC purchased the properties in late2006 and has been completing numerous environmental, building andmarket studies on the properties. A mixed-use market study revealedfeasibility for 30 1-2 bedroom units on the second story with commercial,preferably retail, on the ground floor. Proposals are due January 11thto the Chamber office. RFP and additional information are available atwww.councilbluffsiowa.com under economic development downloads.Iowa Department of Human Services Locatesin Council BluffsAnother success story for the Greater Council Bluffs Regional EconomicDevelopment Partnership! The Omni Centre in Council Bluffs has beenselected as the new home to the Iowa Department of Human Servicescall center. The call center will provide 48 new jobs to the region with abeginning pay of $34,590. The lead was received by the Partnership fromthe Iowa Department of Economic Development and then distributed tolocal commercial realtors.128 W. BroadwayThe former Jiggies Bait Shoplocated in the Historic Districtof West Broadway will beconverted into 1,200 SF ofcommercial space on thefirst floor and a 2-bedroomapartment on the second floorthrough a forgivable loanissued through the DowntownRevitalization Fund’sStorefront Grant Program.$56,250 has been awardedtoward a total project cost ofapproximately $356,929.Alliance ReceivesPromotional AwardBravo! This summer, the Alliancereceived top honors for exceptionalpromotional material at theInternational Economic DevelopmentCouncil’s Annual Conference held inPhoenix. The Alliance’s communityand demographic brochure titled,“Moving Toward the Future” placedfirst in the General Purpose Brochurecategory for populations between50,000 to 200,000.The title of the Community andEconomic Data Report, “MovingToward the Future” representsthe decision of the PottawattamieCounty Growth Alliance to followthe latest national trend in economicdevelopment: regionalism. Previousyear’s reports only featured dataon Pottawattamie County, but the2006 report now incorporates TheGreater Council Bluffs Region partnercounties; Harrison and Mills.The report provides prospectivebusinesses and their employeeswith detailed information on thebenefits of living and working inthe region and features data andsupporting graphical representationson population, education, workforce,new construction, quality of life, andretail taxable sales.The report is published annuallyand is available online at www.councilbluffsiowa.com or in print atthe Chamber office.Pottawattamie County Growth Alliance