Looking back: Economic Development climate enhanced

The City's Strategic Plan identifies 6 main "vision areas." They are:

• Quality of Relationships - Our City fulfills its commitment to building quality relationships throughout the community.
• Sense of Place - Our Community generates an appealing sense of place and fosters a welcoming, sustainable environment.
• Service Delivery, Resources and Needs - Our City organization maintains an optimal service delivery framework that balances resources with needs.
• Economic Vitality - Our Community prospers in a diverse, self-renewing climate of business, industry and housing.
• Vibrant Downtown - Captivating downtown St. Charles, rich with social, cultural and economic vibrancy, is a distinctive element of our community.
• Mobility and Connectivity - A quality transportation system assures community access, mobility and connectivity.

This week, I am sharing the achievements that I am most proud of in the area of Economic Vitality. They are as follows:

• In 2006, the First Street project was approved. Phases 1 and 2 were completed before the Great Recession took hold. First Street has become a new community gathering place thriving with new retail establishments and restaurants, reflecting the original vision for this area.
• In 2008, the new Costco Wholesale Store on Randall Road opened, bringing new economic activity, and sales tax revenue, to St. Charles.
• In 2010, Wal-Mart completed its expansion project in the East Gateway area, including the construction of a new traffic signal at the Smith Road intersection – one of the City’s most accident-prone – that will improve safety and traffic flow.
• In 2011, the City worked collaboratively to bring R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company to St. Charles resulting in 180 new jobs. The former Pier 1 Imports, Inc. facility was purchased by R.R. Donnelley & Sons in 2010 for $11.8 million and additional renovations were completed, including substantial electrical upgrades that required the City’s assistance.
• In 2011, Resnick Automotive Group completed the construction of the new Resnick Mercedes-Benz dealership, resulting in a new landmark on the City’s Randall Road corridor.
• In 2010, the City developed the St. Charles Restaurant Week promotion to encourage patrons to visit St. Charles restaurants during a typically slow time of year (February). The annual event features over 30 St. Charles restaurants participating in the promotion.
• In 2012, the City facilitated the site selection and business expansion of Elmhurst-based Bema, Incorporated.  Bema purchased and improved a 63,000 square foot building at 3620 Ohio Avenue, where it will operate a state-of-the-art extrusion production and warehousing of plastic film.
• In 2012, the City initiated analysis to create the East Main Street Business District to provide a new economic development tool to enhance and revitalize the East Main Street corridor.
• The City provided incentives that resulted in the opening of two automobile dealerships – St. Charles Buick/GMC (2011) and St. Charles Toyota - Certified Used (2012) and the retention/expansion of another (Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram).
• In 2013, the City developed a new Knowledge-based Incentive Pilot Program to attract the headquarters of Clarke Group that will bring 80 or more full-time jobs to St. Charles, plus provide opportunities for St. Charles-based students or recent graduates undergoing supervised practical training in mosquito control and management of aquatic habitats.

Next week I will share my "Top 10" achievements in the area of Vibrant Downtown.