Oakdale EDC reviews 2025 work plan and second-year business retention report

The Oakdale Economic Development Commission on April 2 reviewed a draft 2025 work plan and heard a year-two report on the city's Business Retention, Expansion and Attraction program. Max, the city staff liaison, summarized the BREA findings and recommended follow-up actions.

The report, which staff and St. Paul Area Chamber representatives prepared after 12 business visits, said the visits aimed to "express appreciation to businesses and build relationships, connect businesses with resources to help them grow, understand real estate and workforce needs, and understand how our policies impact the business climate of Oakdale," Max said. Commissioners and staff discussed the report's main findings: most visited firms were retailers or restaurants; employers reported ongoing difficulties filling lower-skill positions and some higher-skill vacancies; and 10 of the 12 businesses planned facility investments such as expansions, remodels or facade improvements.

Why it matters: staff told the commission that many employers draw workers from nearby cities and that improved transit and pedestrian infrastructure could expand both customer and employee access. The report also identified branding and business-support services as frequent requests from local firms.

Key details from the report include: - Twelve visits were completed in year two; the program has prioritized geographic and ownership diversity when selecting businesses. - Employers ranged from a large local employer identified as PACE (about 220 full-time employees at the time noted in the report) to very small businesses (one game and hobby store with two to three employees). Canvas Health was described as having about 140 employees in Oakdale and roughly 320 overall. - Ten of 12 businesses planned capital improvements or expansions. - Workforce challenges persisted from year one: many businesses still reported trouble filling lower-skill positions and some higher-skill roles. - Transportation feedback reiterated strong highway access as an asset and showed interest in increased transit access; businesses said many employees drive but that better transit could attract customers and workers, and several noted interest in the new Gold Line service.

The St. Paul Area Chamber staff who compiled the report suggested several city actions: partner with workforce-development organizations; improve transit stops and pedestrian connections; pursue property-enhancement incentives; streamline permitting and zoning processes as part of the ongoing zoning code update; and market Oakdale more actively as a destination. "We're exploring different contract options" to continue the BREA program, Max said, and staff have begun follow-up checks with year-one participants and plan to contact year-two firms after more time has passed.

Commissioners suggested follow-up visits to some long-standing businesses and named several local restaurants and retailers as candidates for future outreach. Max said staff will continue to coordinate visits, follow up with businesses that request assistance, and share the full BREA report in the packet for commissioners who want more detail.

The city staff liaison and commissioners noted the BREA findings will inform priorities in the commission's draft 2025 work plan, which lists continued BREA visits, assistance with redevelopment efforts, marketing initiatives and collaboration with local economic development partners.

The full BREA report and the draft 2025 work plan are included in the meeting packet; staff said they will accept additional input by email before forwarding a final version to the City Council.