  |
|
|
MINDING OUR OWN BUSINESS March 15, 2003 by Linda Hirvonen Delta County Economic Development Alliance Responses from Delta Force Participants: Best and Worst Case Economic Scenarios 2000-2025: Delta Force participants are given readings and homework assignments prior to attending the “course work/day” regarding that particular topic. Thursday, February 27th was Economic Development Day, and participants were asked to brainstorm best and worst case scenarios for the first quarter of the 21st century, pick the most important from each list to name and defend. By far the most popular concept was to more fully utilize our waterfronts, which is, of course, our competitive advantage over most of the United States. I personally wish I knew who wrote which response, because of the rest of the concepts, #8 is so “on target” for rural economic development and is evidence of a more sophisticated level of thinking than is normally encountered by those without economic development training or experience. Interestingly, many participants focused on Escanaba even though the assignment did not specify a particular community. The following are their responses to the best thing that could happen: 1. Develop our waterfront (7) a. Basic Marine relocates out of downtown Escanaba (but still in area to north) allowing shoreline to be developed more commercially b. Waterfront commercial developments to include marina, shops, restaurants, boat tours,water park activities, port to draw people to downtowns and increase tourism c. “Open door” policy to welcome boating tourists 2. Bay College develops into a four-year institution (2) 3. Delta County Airport gets more airlines 4. Develop Escanaba into a resort/tourism area 5. Building a new power plant to service 2 or more large businesses. We need to continue municipal power to control price and availability. 6. A “name” company currently located in a metropolitan city relocates to Delta County to improve the quality of its employees’ lives. 7. Low unemployment reates with growth in number of higher-paying jobs 8. All existing small to medium businesses add 50% more employees than they currently employ 9. Another large manufacturing company would come into town 10. EMP expands greatly Here are the Delta Force participants’ thoughts on the worst things that could happen in the next 25 years: 1. MeadWestvaco closes or is relocated out of our community. (5) 2. MeadWestvaco leaves the community in an Enron (type) financial scandal or environmental accident. 3. [Another) one of our large manufacturers moves out of the area/more large companies getting smaller or closing. (2) . 4. The city [undefined] doesn’t develop and local businesses (large and small) move elsewhere 5. Our current number of businesses remains the same. 6. The (Escanaba) City Council continues to be too involved in daily operations- too hands on- and continues to reject new ideas and new perspectives. 7. The power plant proposal in Hannahville happens. 8. Escalation of waterfront residential property values to the point of forcing long-time owners to sell because of rising property taxes. 9. The crime rate goes up 10. Economy [goes into] depression. We can’t control it but it would be the worst case scenario. 11. The county continues to lose all the young people to cities and other areas. As the EDA continues its long-range strategic planning, we again encourage community input regarding the best things that could happen to our economy over the first quarter of the 21st Century and also the worst things. This will allow us a broad range of events to consider in planning for success and in planning to contain failures! Input can be e-mailed to eda@DeltaMI.org, faxed to (906) 786-8830 or mailed to: Delta County Economic Development Alliance 230 Ludington Street Escanaba 49829. Signed input is requested so follow-up conversations may be held as needed. Come Grow with Us in Delta County! Linda A Hirvonen, Executive Director Delta County Economic Development Alliance 230 Ludington Street Escanaba MI 49829 (906) 786-2192 or fax (906) 786-8830 |
|
|
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
|
|
           |
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
