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Economic Development Digest
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| Economic Development News
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October Gulf Coast Economic Development District Meeting
The next Gulf Coast Economic Development District meeting will be at 10 a.m. Friday, January 31, at the H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor (3555 Timmons Lane, Houston).
For more information, contact Joshua Owens at 832-681-2613.
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Rural and Small Town Downtown Revitalization Summit | October 22
 At this half-day event, participants will learn about best practices supporting downtown revitalization, including protecting community character, staying competitive, implementation tools and resources, and tying it all together.
This event is listed for 4 Certification Maintenance Credits with the American Planning Association.
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Fall Planning Workshop | November 1
The Houston-Galveston Area Council's Fall Planning Workshop is an annual half-day workshop for local governments featuring presentations on best planning practices for communities.
This year's workshop will focus on Building Equity Into Planning and will be from 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday, November 1, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor.
Topics include:
- The State of Equity in Our Communities
- Reaching Out to Our Communities/Including Equity in Planning
- Measuring Equity in Our Efforts
- On-the-Ground Examples of Successful Equity in Planning
This event is listed for 4 Certification Maintenance Credits, including 1.5 ethics credits, with the American Planning Association. Learn more.
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Livable Centers Planning Study Call for Partners
H-GAC's Livable Centers Program call for planning study partners is open. This is not a request for proposals from consulting firms.
All eligible partners must complete a Notice of Intent to Apply by Friday, December 6. Final Applications are due Tuesday, January 21, 2020.
To date, 29 livable centers studies are complete and represent $467 million in locally sponsored capital improvements with an additional $567 million identified in H-GAC's Regional Transportation Plan. The objectives of the Livable Centers planning studies are to:
- Help create quality, walkable, mixed-use places;
- Create multi-modal travel choices;
- Improve environmental quality; and
- Promote economic development and housing choice.
Interested partners are encouraged to attend the pre-submittal meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, November 12, at the H-GAC Training Room, Second Floor, for in-person explanation of the application process. Information about deadlines, specific application content, and important dates are available online.
For more information, or questions about upcoming deadlines, email [email protected].
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RFI: Project Emerald Manufacturing
The Greater Houston Partnership has been contacted by Global Location Strategies for a client that is evaluating the Houston region for its new metals processing facility. "Project Emerald" is expected to create between 800-1,250 new jobs and a capital investment of $3.1 billion. For information regarding the required submissions, contact Jordan Robinson. Submissions are due by Wednesday, October 23.
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Houston Opportunity Zone Conference | October 23
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is hosting a "Houston focused" Opportunity Zone Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, October 23, at 1717 West Loop South. This conference will provide insights from active investors, developers and policy makers regarding Opportunity Zone strategies, structures and resources. The conference will begin with a panel of key policy makers from the federal agencies who are responsible for ensuring the success of the initiative. Other dynamic panels will include business leaders, developers, Qualified Opportunity Zone Funds, family offices, and philanthropic organizations. Breakout sessions will enable participants to obtain focused insights from tax, legal, and policy experts regarding workforce housing, community-centric development and Qualified Opportunity Zone Businesses.
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UH Clear Lake Energy and Environmental Stewardship Conference | October 23
The University of Houston at Clear Lake is hosting the 10 th Annual Conference of the Sultan Qaboos Culture Center for a conversation on the similarities between Texas and Oman between oil, climate, and disaster management. The conference will be from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, October 23, at UHCL. The Gulf Coast Economic Development District board member Guy Robert Jackson will be speaking on a panel. Registration is requested.
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LISC Civic Academy | October 31
Houston Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) will host a discussion among stakeholders in the local housing landscape to learn about the current state of housing in the region and explore the future of housing in region. The meeting will be at the historic DeLuxe Theater from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, October 31, and will focus on working toward a comprehensive housing strategy.
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Disaster Recovery Program | IEDC
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is placing experienced economic development professionals as volunteers in economic development organizations throughout
the region that can use expert input doing various
tasks such as:
- Attracting inward investment
- Business outreach, retention and recovery
- Community outreach, finance, flood control and mitigation
- Grant writing, strategic planning, and training/education
Thanks to U.S. Economic Development Administration funding, the volunteers-- who typically come for five days and then do supplementary work remotely--are completely free of charge to communities in the region.
For more information, contact Joshua Owens at 832-681-2613.
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TEEX Recovery Courses Accepting Course Requests/Reservations
Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) is accepting course requests and reservations. The 12-hour Disaster Recovery Public Assistance course and the four-hour Disaster Recovery for Senior Officials course can be scheduled now. TEEX will come to your community; there is no-cost for this training. For more information, contact Andrew Wenzel, Program Director, at [email protected].
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August Gulf Coast Labor Market Analysis
Workforce Solutions provides a monthly analysis of the Gulf Coast region's labor market. Some highlights from the August 2019 report are:
- The regional unemployment rate was unchanged, this is the first time since 1990, when records began, that August posted zero job growth.
- Manufacturing added the most jobs (1,400)
- Unemployment rate is seasonally adjusted to 3.9%
The report highlights data from the Texas Workforce Commission and the Bureau of Labor Statistics focusing on the region's 13 counties. Reports are available on Workforce Solutions' webpage.
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Cross Creek Town Center is under construction in Fulshear. The mixed-use project will consist of 76,000 square feet of retail and office space within Cross Creek Ranch master-planned community. The project will be done by 2020.
The Travis is under construction at 3300 Main Street. in Midtown. The 30-story, residential tower will contain 328 units and nearly 15,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor. It is expected to open in 2020.
Park 249 broke ground on an 816,920-square-foot industrial project at SH 249 and Beltway 8. This will the first of four facilities for the master-planned corporate park. It is expected to be completed in 2020.
Parc Air 59 has broken ground at the corner of SH 59 and Will Clayton Parkway. The industrial project will consist of two buildings totaling 279.632 SF. It is expected to be complete in 2020.
Pelican Builders has opened its sales center for its condominium tower The Hawthorne. The 17-story tower will include 67 units and will be located at 5656 San Felipe in the Tanglewood neighborhood. The Hawthorne will break ground in early 2020.
Ground has broken on two facilities for the Stafford Municipal School District. The $26 million, three-story, 127,262-square-foot middle school will be opened in time for the 2020-2021 school year. The second facility will be two-story, 26,363-square-foot administration building.
A 90,000 SF aeronautical training center is coming to Houston Spaceport. The $16 million center will include 12 flight simulators and be part of the Houston Spaceport's first phase.
Mixed-use development Village Center in Jersey Village will include a Marriott Hotel brand with 120 rooms. The 43-acre project will also include retail, office, and residential. A new City Hall within the center is expected to open in February 2020.
Fort Bend ISD will be building its new high school at the intersection of Glendale Lakes Drive and FM 521 in Rosharon. The two-story, 485,000-square-foot facility is expected to be complete in time for the 2022-2023 school year.
Compiled from reports in Community Impact Newspapers, Houston Business Journal, and Texas A&M University Real Estate Center
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