Economic Development
DESCRIPTION
The Economic Development program of the City is housed within the City Manager’s office and oversees all commercial/industrial recruitment and retention activities, as well as oversight of the Economic Development Commission, Olde Town Steering Committee and Urban Renewal Authority (FURA), where it serves as the Executive Director.
MISSION STATEMENT
To strive for planned growth through land ownership relations, enhanced development standards, and a revitalization of blight assets; destined to cultivate a diverse business community through policies and programs designed to attract, retain and expand business development toward the realization of quality job creation for community residents and grow the city’s tax base.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
PERSONNEL HISTORY
2021/2022 HIGHLIGHTS
Economic Development (ED)
• Departmental Response Plan Implementation and Management with relation to the COVID Pandemic and Economic Disruption, which included: Small Business Survival Resources/ Toolkits/ Relief Funding/ communications and website development.
• New construction economic development and fulfillment projects transpiring throughout the city, to include: South Academy Highlands, INFILL (US86/87, Syracuse/ Mesa Ridge), Opportunity Zone, and Westside Gateway/ Charter Oak on behalf of growing the city’s tax base.
• Two Revitalizing Main Street Grants on behalf of the Main/Ohio Intersection Public Improvement Project were awarded by CDOT to the City’s epicenter of Olde Town URA district and FCSD8. Economic Development chaired as grant writer, grant administrator, funds reconciliation, and project manager; on behalf of transportation, mobility, and public safety improvements in the URA. (FURA was a matching funds contributor).
• EPA Brownfields Coalition Partners grant program hosted a series of Public Forums and approved 27 site assessments within the City of Fountain; which included combinations of PH I and PH II testing and to lay the ground work for Remediation Planning and/or Conceptual Design Reuse Planning.
• Private Activity Bonds (PABs) have been assigned within the department to be manager/administered with all other commercial development Incentives to be reported on with City Council, County Administrator, State of CO as well as Bond Counsels.
• Completed the Ohio Avenue Placemaking Public Campaign under a highly condensed time period and eligible costs confinement with State of CO grant funds. The Campaign derived 190+ Public Survey Responses, local and national Media Coverage which gleamed positive feedback of support. (FURA served as project Champion role).
• City leader, pursuance, and editor on a series on federal funded grant opportunities, to include: Economic Development Administration Technical Assistance (EDA), Military Defense Communities Infrastructure Program (DCIIP) and USDOT Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) on behalf of the Dual-Service Industrial Rail Park regional initiative and Fort Carson Installation resilience. (EDA grant was awarded 2021-2022).
• Hosted the inaugural #ARTSmonth awareness program, in tandem with the contributions by the EDC, FURA, and COPPeR Arts Foundation in Olde Town and a second offering year before the program transitions over to the City Parks Division in 2023.
• Executed a City 5-YR Option Agreement on behalf of the preservation of the Livery Stable historic site in Olde Town; an amenity asset envisioned within the Blast Park-Aga Park PED Urban Corridor master plan.
• Published the Olde Town District Timeline, URA Annual Report, CGI Community Video Series, and City website sections of public content on behalf of BRE and new commercial fulfillment.
• Deliver on F5 Strategic Objective: Present city incentive policy to recruit commercial development (Sept. 2022)
Olde Town Steering Committee (OTSC)
• Olde Town District Design+Aesthetics Guidelines Incentive Program (advocacy/adoption with City Council 2021).
• Business Property Upgrades and Inventory Reconciliation to aide in State of CO Main Streets Small Business COVID Recovery funds.
• 1st District Ambassador honor and designee; Teresa Vieira of Peaks N Pines Brewing Co.
• Broaden Awareness of Fountain Creek a natural asset amenity for community development in Olde Town.
Economic Development Commission (EDC)
• Business Impact Assistance Program (BIAP) Review Panel to aide in City/County Small Business COVID Recovery funds.
• Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) Program Activation (Tier 1 and Tier 2 Engagement Platform).
• INFILL Tax Sharing Agreement Model (advocacy/adoption with City Council 2021) to optimize commercial development and job creation.
• Active participation in a series of City’s initiatives: Transportation Master Plan with Public Works; Water Master Plan with Utilities; Broadband with Utilities and GIS.
Fountain Urban Renewal Authority (FURA)
• Ohio Avenue Placemaking Campaign Ombudsman Champion of the city’s application to State OEDIT and DOLA grant under the Rural Technical Assistant Program (RTAP) initiative; whereby the findings report was debriefed with City council, Boards and Commissions, and the Public in 2021.
• 1st Art installation in the Olde Town district URA; reuse of the former Woodman Hall egress staircase transformed into a functional Bike Rack for the district and future commercial tenants/customers of the property.
• Execution of the Woodman Hall Vision plan, 1905 historic asset. The upgrades and services performed included tending to code compliance upgrades, service capacities upgrades, gutted non-historic FAB drywall extensions, and permitting towards a revitalized 100% commercial reuse asset. A Grey Shell Preview was hosted, as well as, 1st business tenant entered the 2nd FL of the property.
• South Academy Highlands (SAH) PH I moved to build out the remaining 5.63 acres west-side pad with 4 new retailers. Preliminary ground work and utilities and a retaining wall commenced for 100% of PH I completion rate; leaving external areas known as PH II and PH III for future development in the City.
Fountain Chamber of Commerce (FVCC)
• Continual collaborative efforts with Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce on bridging services provided to businesses/residents of the community on behalf of COVID small business resiliency.
2023/2024 GOALS - The following goals support the City's vision and enduring interests of promoting economic development, responsible growth and collaborative governance.
• To revitalize aged/empty commercial assets and spur new commercial construction for job creation and stem the leakage of retail goods and services and grow the city’s tax base (INFILL, EPA Brownfields, Enterprise Zone, Urban Renewal, Opportunity Zone programs).
• Champion the Economic Development Recovery mission for the community, working in tandem with Regional and State recovery leads on behalf of business resiliency, funding, and legislative policy (COVID economies).
• Ongoing public outreach with stakeholders, business leaders and investors, to strengthen retention, expansion and attraction of business development for the community and skilled available workforce .
• Continue BRE and Attraction efforts under the SoCO RIC fulfillment and Woodman Hall revitalization missions
• Serve Boards’ and Committees’ action items as identified in 2022/2023 Work Plan.
• Work with private business on aligning hearty development forecasting and infrastructure extensions for the x-128 industrial cluster, Front Range Dual Service Rail Park and Fort Carson resiliency and readiness mission.
• Focus deliverables under the four Master Plans steward by the department, to include: 2008 US85 Urban Renewal Plan (18); 2014 Olde Town Revitalization Plan (12); 2018 THK Town Design and Interstate Guidelines (5); and 2020 Ohio Placemaking Corridor (4).
• Finalize deliverables under the EPA Brownfields Coalition Partners grant fulfillment, by October 2023. To include city-owned assets of Lorraine Center and Blast Park, as well as FURA-owned assets of Woodman Hall and US85 Pad Site.
• Execute Sense of Place, Main Street Revitalization, and Beautification initiatives under FURA blight mission.
• Cultivate Placemaking PED Corridor visioning within the Olde Town and Gateway sub-districts of US85 URA; a public introductory awareness of the potential to incorporate sustainable infrastructure, pedestrian mobility/safety, and an arts cultural movement.
• Continue building relationships with legislatures, partner affiliates, regional stakeholders and military installations to assure the city’s inclusion in regional visioning, public policy, development initiatives and workforce talent.
• “Open for Business” broaden Olde Town/ Gateway District awareness with at-large Community/ Valley/ Region.
• Identify opportunities for annual retail trade show and other targeted industry conferences and recruitment trips, as funding allows (COVID economies).
• Deliver on D12 Strategic Objective: Present plan to encourage retail expansion (June 2023).
• Deliver on R5 Strategic Objective: Complete concept design for Blast Park-Aga Park PED Urban Corridor master plan under the EPA Brownfields Coalition Partners grant (July 2023).
• Deliver on D14 Strategic Objective: IF/WHEN feasible, complete agreements on Dual-Service Rail Park Initiative (December 2023).
• Assess D13 Strategic Objective: Present update to Economic Development Strategic Plan (pending per further City Council direction) (December 2024).
BUDGET - The 5 year budget of expenses by category for the Economic Development Department is indicated below: