I don’t know if there is any hope that the City of Madison will adopt anything but the race to the bottom economic development strategy where huge amounts of money are given to developers and large businesses and we might get a few jobs for a little while with no guarantee of those jogs existing in the future and little else.
Hard to know if this is worth your time or effort, but I guess if we don’t try for a different kind of vision we will never get one. Sorry this is a little late, was sick earlier this week and didn’t get around to many things I should have! Much of what happens will likely depend on the leadership of whomever gets the Economic Development Director position with the city. But I don’t have much hope. Downtown Madison Inc, the Chamber of Commerce and the developers run this town and we’re fooling ourselves if we think anything but that.
Over the next couple weeks, the Economic Development Division will be hosting two community meetings to give people the opportunity to share ideas for what should be included in the City’s Economic Strategy. The meetings will have an engaging format with small groups using “Mind Maps” to develop and share ideas (the format will be a similar but shortened version of the Symposium we hosted last week).
Please help spread the word with neighborhoods, organizations, and other contacts. The dates and locations are below. Attached are English, Spanish, and Hmong versions of a flyer with a little more info (we’ll have Spanish and Hmong translators at both events).
Thanks!Dan
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September 23, 2014, 7pm – 9pm
Village on Park Community Room
2300 S. Park StreetOctober 1, 2014, 6pm – 8pm
Warner Park Community Center
1625 Northport DriveMore info at www.cityofmadison.com/economicstrategy
Dan Kennelly,
City of Madison
Economic Development Specialist
Phone: 608.267.1968
Email: dkennelly@cityofmadison.com
From the website:
Madison Economic Strategy
Envisioning Madison’s Future EconomyMadison is growing larger, more diverse, more cosmopolitan, and more dynamic. Emerging industries are reshaping our workforce, construction is at all time highs, the city is becoming more diverse, and Madison is poised to add 50 to 100 thousand residents over the next three decades.
In short, Madison is changing. This change brings exciting new opportunities coupled with complex new challenges. Mayor Soglin and the City’s Economic Development Division are in the process of developing a new Madison Economic Strategy focused on capitalizing on Madison’s unique economic strengths while addressing our challenges.
This process will include numerous opportunities for community engagement. The first step was the Economic Symposium on September 10. This unique event brought together 200 leaders from Madison’s business, education, non-profits, and government communities to share ideas about the City’s future economy.
A video of the event can be watched HERE
A copy of the presentations used during the Symposium can be downloaded HERE
A summary of the input and ideas provided at the Symposium can be downloaded HERE
The next opportunity to get involved with the Madison Economic Stragegy will be two evening community meetings. These meetings will be from 7pm to 9pm on September 23 at the Village on Park Community Room and from 6pm to 8pm on October 1 at the Warner Park Community Center.
Questions, Contact:
Dan Kennelly, 608-267-1968, dkennelly@cityofmadison.com
