Economic Development Commission report shines light on initiatives

ALBANY — Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission officials spent most of Wednesday’s monthly board meeting reviewing first-quarter activities, activities that took EDC officials all across the region and to the state and national capitals.

The review of projects under way and others on the horizon impressed board members.

“Our folks are doing the right things,” Board Chairman Jay Smith said. “Economic development work is about building relationships, and I think we’re building relationships that will pay off for our community in the future.”

EDC President Justin Strickland offered a power point presentation that highlighted commission activities, including:

— Industry roundtable discussions that are expected to yield a student training program;

— The Great Promise Partnership with the Dougherty County School System;

— Efforts to have 85.4 acres of land at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport GRAD- (Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development) certified, an accomplishment that would assure the site preferential recommendations to industries by state officials;

— Work with Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, officials at Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany, the Georgia National Guard, and with the Dougherty County and Albany City Commissions to facilitate a move of the local National Guard armory onboard MCLB-Albany;

— Follow-up from the Albany-Dougherty Day at the state capital and a fly-in at the nation’s capital for talks with congressional and government leaders;

— Contacts with both local and out-of-town businesses interested in locating near the planned downtown craft brewery;

— Development of a downtown database that will give prospective businesses interested in locating in the inner city demographic information about the area;

— Follow-up in the aftermath of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Quail Hunt held recently at local plantations.

“If our site at the airport is GRAD-certified, it would be the only such site located at an airport in the state,” Strickland said. “We’re working well with the (Albany-Dougherty) Aviation Commission to make this another feather in our cap.”

Smith said one of the surprises from the Albany-Dougherty Day was the accessibility of Deal with the local delegation.

“I couldn’t believe how much time our state officials, and especially Gov. Deal, spent with our folks,” Smith said. “That just doesn’t usually happen.”

EDC Vice President Barbara Rivera Holmes noted state officials’ awareness of ongoing projects in the community.

“(State leaders) were all aware of the advancements we’ve made,” she said. “They mentioned that we have a lot of pieces coming together now.”

Strickland said he will make the presentation at both city and county commission meetings in April.