Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Choose Topeka Talent Initiative

By Greater Topeka Partnership Digital Team

GO Topeka is excited to share that it has received approval from its board of directors as well as the Joint Economic Development Organization (JEDO) to fund Choose Topeka, a talent pilot program that will offer matching incentives by partnering with employers to encourage talent to move to Topeka & Shawnee County.

“Choose Topeka was created with the intention of investing in employees to live and work in Topeka & Shawnee County, so that we may foster an ‘intentional community,’ one of community support builders.” said Barbara Stapleton, VP of Business Retention & Talent Initiatives, GO Topeka, an organization of the Greater Topeka Partnership.
Incentives will be performance-based, after the employee has moved and resided in the community for a year and could be used for all types of moving related expenses. For primary residences only, the rental agreement incentive is $10,000 - a $5,000 match of employer and JEDO funds. The purchase or rehabilitation of home is a $7,500 match of employer and JEDO funds. Moving costs alone to move a 1-2 bedroom apartment can range from $4,000 to $7,000 and for a 3-4 bedroom home, range from $10,000 to $16,000, depending on the distance and location.


To read the full article, click here or email Alexia Eanes.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Developer seeks ‘pause’ for controversial tax break on Beltline

By: J. Scott Trubey, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A developer requesting $22.5 million in tax breaks from the city of Atlanta for a posh project along the Beltline asked for a delay amid complaints from critics and as the project appeared to lack votes to win approval from a city board.

Article continues

Experts who study government incentives questioned the need to provide a tax break for a luxury project in one of the city’s hottest neighborhoods. They also questioned the wisdom of providing such an incentive in a TAD, which relies on growth in the tax base to help fund the Beltline.

J. Mac Holladay, the former chief operating officer of the Governor’s Development Council under former Gov. Zell Miller, said incentives for the project should not immediately be rejected.
Holladay said Irwin helped make the Beltline’s Eastside Trail what it is today as an executive at Jamestown when it revitalized a hulking former Sears warehouse into Ponce City Market.

“If you have got somebody who will do an enormous and important project like this, way beyond what has been proposed for that property previously, it’s worth taking a look what they’re asking for and why they’re asking for it,” Holladay said.

Holladay, who runs Market Street Services, an economic and community development consultancy, said Invest Atlanta and New City should be able to tweak the proposal and find common ground.


To read the full article, click here or email Alexia Eanes.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce releases community survey results

By Emily Cole, News Tribune

Resources for businesses, attractiveness to retired people and access to technical training were some of the areas highlighted in the results of a community survey by the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce, which were released Tuesday.

The survey is part of an ongoing Community and Economic Development Strategy conducted by the chamber along with Market Street Services, a community and economic development firm based in Atlanta.


To read the full article, click here or email Alexia Eanes.


Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Is Charlotte in the running for Sherwin-Williams HQ?


By Ashley Fahey, Charlotte Business Journal

It's still highly speculative, but Charlotte may be a candidate for the headquarters of painting and coatings manufacturer Sherwin-Williams Co. — that is, if the company decides to leave its current headquarters city of Cleveland.

Well-known site-selection consultant John Boyd of The Boyd Co., whose New Jersey firm works on economic development projects and corporate relocations across the country, said last week he believes the Queen City could be in the running — and high on the list. Boyd is not working on the Sherwin-Williams project but, based on his knowledge of it, he believes four cities are being seriously considered: Atlanta, Houston, Dallas and Charlotte.

The Sherwin-Williams Co. (NYSE: SHW) disclosed last month that it had begun a process to "explore options" for a new research and development facility and global headquarters, both within and outside of Cleveland. CEO John Morikis said at the time that the company's growth has resulted in a "less than optimal" configuration of headquarters, offices and R&D facilities in multiple locations.

To read the full article email Alexia Eanes

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Jefferson City Chamber seeks community input through online survey


By Emily Cole, News Tribune

As part of an ongoing strategic plan, Jefferson City and the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce are seeking input from the community through an online survey.

Missy Bonnot, director of economic development for the chamber, said the Jefferson City, Missouri Community and Economic Development Strategy hopes to examine the community to figure out what changes are needed to improve it.

The process should take six months — from September 2019 to March 2020.
The strategy is being conducted with help from Market Street Services Inc., an Atlanta-based economic development consulting firm.

As part of the first of four phases in the strategy, the survey was released in mid-September to gather public opinion and comment. Bonnot said they've already passed their initial goal of 1,000 responses and hope to have many more.

"Our hopes in the survey is to get varying opinions about Jefferson City and the assets that we have and the challenges that we have in Jefferson City, and just get as many people to take that survey so we can have varying perspectives," Bonnot said.

The survey shouldn't take more than five to 10 minutes to complete, according to the chamber. The survey starts with some basic information like employment status, schooling, and family and demographic information. The survey is anonymous.


To read the full article email Alexia Eanes

Friday, October 4, 2019

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANNING BEGINS


By Alan Miles

Expanding developments of businesses and homes are imperative to a growing city that may need guidance to strategic structure of its communities. This planning can lead to prosperous businesses as well as joyful citizens embracing their new beginnings. Speaking with Ranada Robinson from Market Street Services the ideas presented are attracting more building in Jefferson City.

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT YOURSELF AND MARKET STREET SERVICES?

Market Street was founded in 1997 by J. Mac Holladay, the only individual to head state level economic development organizations in three different states. We recently celebrated 20 years of serving as a trusted advisor for a wide range of clients in more than 165 communities and regions across 34 states. The majority of our work is focused on applying a holistic approach to strategic planning for community and economic development in communities of all sizes, and we also provide assistance with research and strategic planning that is more narrowly-focused on a specific issue (i.e. entrepreneurship, workforce development, cluster development).

I have worked at Market Street for 11 years, and in that time, I’ve worked in dozens of communities, leading research, facilitating focus groups and stakeholder input, and advising clients on strategic actions. Outside of work, I’m very involved in my own community, where I’m usually focused on economic empowerment and providing various opportunities for kids. I’m also a supermom to my 7-year-old named Frederick and my 11-year-old mini schnauzer Smokie Robinson!



To read the full blog post click here or email Alexia Eanes.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Intercity Visit 2019: October 2 - 4


Expedition Montgomery Is Set to Engage Topeka's Community Leaders, Influencers and Activists
As we get closer to Expedition Montgomery, the GTP team is putting together a thought provoking agenda. Some of the major topics and highlights so far include in-depth discussions with Montgomery officials on their collaboration with Market Street consultants to create three community-wide plans similar to Momentum 2022. The topic of what worked, what didn’t work and more will be continuously examined throughout the trip, which will prove especially relevant as Topeka quickly approaches the strategy's halfway point.

Attendees will also hear from the Chief of Police on their SMART Watch program designed to combat crime, from city officials on how the city won the SMART CITY Challenge just last year, which was a combined initiative to connect and leverage the communities unique technology assets, and from educators on how the community has rallied to go from a city with some of the lowest preforming nationally known schools to having one the best Magnet schools in the country.

Sessions are also coming together that will see GTP leadership break out according to the five pillars of Momentum 2022 for afternoon tours relevant to the issues facing Topeka today: from innovation campuses, to schools, to Montgomery’s strong civil rights tourism, to driving neighborhood tours and discussions.

Even with a high-level agenda, the GTP has still found ways to allow for fun and networking within the group. Each day will conclude with a riverboat cruise and a superb dining experience at one of Montgomery's excellent local restaurants, before we call it a night and make our way back to the Renaissance Hotel.

More information here.



      To read the full article email Alexia Eanes.