EDSR INFORMATION 07-12-1999 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE ELK RIVER ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
HELD AT THE ELK RIVER CITY HALL
• MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1999
•
Members Present: President Dwyer; Commissioners Gongoll, Bender, Klinzing,
Thompson, Farber and Motin
Members Absent: None
Staff Present: Paul Steinman, Executive Director; Sandra Peine, City Clerk; Marc
Nevinski, Assistant Director of Economic Development; Pat Klaers,
City Administrator
Also Present: Jim Brimeyer, Consultant
Jim Brimeyer indicated that the reason for this meeting was to review the components of
the Strategic Plan. He suggested that those present revisit the lists that have been
compiled which included strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, to see if they
are still valid. The EDA proceeded to review the following: stakeholders, strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and the existing primary issues which include industrial
base, business retention and growth, east Highway 10 development/redevelopment,
and downtown redevelopment.
SWOT Analysis
• Strengths
• Boys and Girls Club
• Youth Emporium
• More Recreation Fields
• Industrial Land Identified
• Economic Development Strategy Identified
• Spec Buildings Constructed
Weaknesses
Delete the following from past list of weaknesses:
• Industrial Land
• Economic Development Strategy
• Spec Building Availability
• St. Cloud Association
• Lack of Youth Activities
Add the following weaknesses:
• Lack of Marketing Plan
• Weak Industrial Base
• No Community Center(Gathering Place)
• • Lack of Adequate Meeting Facilities
Special Economic Development Authority Meeting Page 2
June 14. 1999
• Opportunities
Delete the following from past list of opportunities:
• Restaurants
• Tourism
• Excess Retail Development
Add the following opportunities:
• Commuter Rail
• Past Year's Growth
• Growth in Otsego
• Youth Organizations
• Arts Groups
• Semi Public Spaces
- Golf Courses
• Commuters
• Adjacent Cities/Townships
Maior issues
Delete the following from the past list of major issues:
• Develop Political Leadership
• Develop Realistic/Achievable Goals
• Develop New Specialty Areas
• Promote Community Events
• Determine School Funding Priorities
• Develop "How Can We Help" Attitude
Threats
• School Needs
- Facilities
- Staffing
• Growth
• Wild and Scenic River Ordinance
1. Industrial Base
2. Business Retention and Growth
3. East Highway 10 Development/Redevelopment
4. Downtown Redevelopment
5. Develop Focal Points for our Community
• Community Center/Place
• Pool
• Meeting Places
• • Arts Programs/Exhibits
• Cooperate with School Facilities Planning
6. Building/West Industrial Park(Attract major anchor)
7. Coordination of Transportation Options
• Highways
• Rail/Depot Location
Special Economic Development Authority Meeting Page 3
June 14, 1999
• 4. Adjournment
There being no further business, President Dwyer adjourned the meeting at 6:00
p.m.
, —
Sandra Peine
City Clerk
Paul Steinman
Executive Director
•
•
S SWOT ANALYSIS (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities. Threats
STRENGTHS
- UPA
- Location
- Committed progressive leadership
- Strong city government
- Source of construction materials
- Sense of community, identity
- Sense of volunteerism
- Natural resources (river, woods, rural)
- Schools
- Current growth rate
- Destination shopping
- Non-metro metro
- Downtown
- Highways
- Sewer capacity
- Land availability and prices
Affordable housing (full cycle)
• - Recreational facility
- Current tax rate
- Metro Phone
- Updated Comprehensive Plan
- Funding for education— employment transition
- Boys and Girls Club
- Youth emporium
- Recreational fields
- Industrial laud identified
- Strategy for economic development
- Spec building constructed
• •
WEAKNESSES
- Train movement
- Fragmented downtown
- Lack of public transportation
- Lack of skills training for employees
- Commuter population
- Labor availability
- Lack of marketing plan
- Weak industrial base
- Lack of community gathering place
- Lack of adequate meeting facilities
•
•
• OPPORTUNITIES
- Energy City
- Incubator industry
- Minnesota Sports Federation Complex
- Highway 101 completion
- Reputation of Minnesota (technical, educational)
- Natural resource amenities
- Society work habits -- commuters
- Identify with metro area (airports, highways)
- Population shift to rural
- Met Council policies
- Funding sources for business
- River development
- Commuter rail
- Past year's growth
- Growth in Ostego
- Youth organizations
- Art groups
- Commuters
- Adjacent cities/townships
THREATS
- Met Council MUSA line extension
- Incentives from other jurisdictions(cities/state)
- Inflation
- Building locations
- Fragmented school districts
- Unmanaged growth
- Excess retail
- Utility company/personal property tax issue
- Landfills in gravel pits
- Power lines
- Electric deregulation
- County attitude
- School needs
- Facilities
- Staffing
- Growth
• - Wild and scenic river regulations
• MAJOR ISSUES
Members of the Task Force concluded with the following list of major issues facing economic
development of the City of Elk River.
- Develop stronger industrial base (utility extension plan, land designation and purchases,job
creation)*
- Redevelopment of downtown—use river as amenity*
- East Highway 10— development/redevelopment*
- Encourage internal business retention/growth*
- Capitalize on energy city potential
- Implement incubator plan
- Strong public/private coordination
- Priorities —focus on economic development
- Educate— communicate with citizens
- Develop river corridor through community
- Establish finance options for development
- Explore local transit system (revised system)
•
- Define, manage commercial expansion
- Market Elk River as part of metro area
- Develop internal highway system
- Take advantage of the mining industry
- Develop external focused marketing strategy
- Improve cooperation/coordination with school district and county
- Create quality jobs
- Develop focal point for the community (make decision)
- Community center
- Pool
- Meeting places
- Art programs/exhibits
- Cooperate with school on facilities planning
- Build west industrial park(attract major anchor)
- Coordinate transportation options
- Highways
- Rai/depot location
• - Commuters
* Current Strategies