CRMEA May/June Report 2018

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STRATEGIZING PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC POLICY The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance is focused on the growth of our region and we work with our members to prioritize needs and implement strategies that make local businesses and our region successful. Our public policy strategy provides a unified voice of our members to advocate for progrowth and pro-business policies. With input from our more than 1,200 member businesses, our governance leadership, local municipalities and other strategic partners, we develop our yearly legislative agendas. Our state priorities this year have focused on programs that address workforce needs, meaningful tax reform and preserving economic development programs that help retain and recruit business. Our federal priorities have focused on pro-Iowa trade policies, job creating immigration reform and flood protection funding. PRIMARY ELECTION DAY ON JUNE 5 VISION DOWNTOWN CEDAR RAPIDS PLAN OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT The historic flood of 2008 forever changed Cedar Rapids, but under strong leadership, the disaster was turned into possibility – an opportunity to reinvent the downtown. The Economic Alliance supports core district growth by implementing strategic plans for housing, signature streets and beautification, quality of life events and flood protection progress. In 2007, the Economic Alliance (then the Downtown District) along with other community partners, commissioned the first “Vision Downtown Cedar Rapids” plan, which provided a broad understanding of downtown’s purpose and helped to direct the energy and resources of future downtown development opportunities. With many of the initiatives realized and much of Downtown Cedar Rapids and surrounding districts transformed, we’re at a turning point. We saw early success when the Future Ready Iowa Act was signed into law after receiving unanimous support in both the House and Senate. The Economic Alliance hosted Governor Reynolds last year during her Future Ready Iowa Tour where members had the opportunity to provide feedback and recommendations to address our region’s workforce shortages and strategies to fill the skills gap. The law provides a plan for the state to create opportunities for more Iowans to have careers in high-demand fields by the year 2025. Our efforts continue through the year with strategies that utilize our state and national partners, staff lobbying and organized member grassroots advocacy. Electing pro-growth, pro-business candidates is vital to the Economic Alliance’s public policy advocacy efforts. This year Iowans will go to the polls to choose local, state and federal elected officials and our next chance to influence the outcome is on June 5, Primary Election Day. To vote in the Primary, you must be registered and choose a party affiliation. Go to the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, https://sos.iowa.gov, and look for the “Elections” section to view a full list of candidates and obtain information on how to register to vote. The most recent update to the plan in 2017 will launch an even bigger and brighter future thanks to some significant factors like undeveloped land, or impact sites, in the heart of downtown, collaborative district leadership and a general feeling of momentum for Downtown Cedar Rapids. You can read the entire updated Vision Downtown Cedar Rapids plan, on our website at www.cedarrapids.org/ourcommunity/downtown. 8 MAY/JUNE 2018
WHAT IS ICR IOWA? DRIVING DOWNTOWN DWELLING DEMAND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT The latest Cedar Rapids Housing Market Analysis commissioned annually by the City of Cedar Rapids, indicates that Downtown Cedar Rapids housing will continue to grow through 2030. New options are coming on the market all the time, supporting the demand. Higher populations of urban dwellers result in districts that are more viable for business success and improved vitality. Cedar Rapids developer Fred Timko certainly feels the continued demand for downtown housing. One of his newest projects, 15 rowhouse units called The Redstone in Kingston Village, is part of the surge of development in the downtown neighborhood of Kingston Village, an area severely impacted by 2008 flooding. Last year, the Economic Alliance assisted in securing Workforce Housing Tax Credits for The Redstone in Kingston Village. The purpose of the tax credit program is to take an abandoned, empty or decaying and neglected property and turn it into affordable housing for Iowa communities. In mid-April, after just two weeks of advertising, Fred received numerous inquiries about The Redstone, which formally opens in June. Many of the inquirers have been single, young professionals. The Redstone in Kingston Village was one of ten urban properties showcased on May 6, during Urban Living in Downtown Cedar Rapids. The open house event supports core district housing by bringing prospective downtown residents and property managers together to highlight the unique amenities enjoyed by those living downtown. If you couldn’t make the event, view our Interactive Downtown Housing Map on our website, at www.cedarrapids.org/our-community/coredistricts/downtown/housing. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ICR IOWA is the new external-facing brand for our seven-county region and the new name for our regional economic development group, a joint venture between the Economic Alliance and Iowa City Area Development Group. The organization is charged with leading the efforts to market our region, grow our workforce, and recruit more businesses and individuals to locate here. Collectively across the region, and from our Economic Alliance members, we understand that recruiting and retaining a sufficient workforce is a top concern. We are working together as a region to collectively strengthen our communities and strategically attract and develop the necessary talent for growth. To best identify each of the core areas of ICR IOWA’s work, the following sub-brands have been created: • Choose ICR - business attraction efforts • ICR Future - talent pipeline efforts • ICR Talent - workforce attraction and retention efforts • Inclusive ICR - diversity workforce efforts We are encouraging businesses, organizations, and our cities and counties to help us amplify ICR IOWA by using the brand in their own marketing. • Add the Proud to be in ICR IOWA logo to your website and printed materials, showcasing that you are a part of the region. Visit https://bit.ly/2r4qKnB to download logos. • Add #ICRIOWA to social media posts that showcase business growth, workforce development, and quality of life in our region. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Jennifer Daly, President & CEO of ICR IOWA, at jdaly@icriowa.org. ECONOMIC ALLIANCE REPORT 9
Page 1 and 2: CULTIVATING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY THR
Page 3 and 4: New Look, New Opportunities Doug Ne
Page 5 and 6: NEW MEMBERS AAVIN Private Equity 12
Page 7: EXISTING INDUSTRY Insights, data an
Page 11 and 12: Intern Welcome Reception | Coe Coll
Page 13 and 14: Corridor Business Journal 2345 Land
Page 15 and 16: ROBERT HALF: A PIONEER IN PROFESSIO

CRMEA May/June Report 2018

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