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Pullman economic development manager outlines 2024 work, child care and downtown priorities for 2025
Summary
Sean Miller, Pullman's economic development manager, told the city council the department worked with dozens of startups in 2024, plans to prioritize business retention and expansion in 2025, and highlighted child care, vacant downtown space and a WSU entrepreneurship collaboration as key priorities.
Sean Miller, Pullman’s economic development manager, presented the department’s 2024 achievements and a work plan for 2025 at the April 22 council meeting, emphasizing support for startups, business retention and child care solutions.
Miller said economic development work in 2024 included a SCALE program that provided extended advising to 11 businesses, shorter coaching to dozens more and nearly 400 business licenses or endorsements processed citywide. “We actually worked with 11 businesses, hand in hand,” he told the council, describing multilayered coaching from business planning to marketing and lease negotiations.
Why it matters: Miller said local entrepreneurship helps keep revenue in the community and supports jobs; downtown vacancies and childcare shortages both limit growth and workforce participation.
Key initiatives for 2025 Miller described: - Business retention and expansion (BR&E) outreach targeting high‑impact sectors and underused commercial space. He said staff will contact prospective businesses and property owners and use a regional gap analysis to seek tenants that match Pullman demand. - Collaboration with Washington State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship to pilot 5–10 business concepts using a 30‑minute drive‑time gap analysis to identify retail categories with unmet demand. - Support for Gladys Community Center’s coworking and flexible‑space efforts to reduce overhead for startups. - Child care: Miller said affordability and operator recruitment are barriers. He described work with local partners and with Childcare Aware of Eastern Washington and said existing facilities need support to remain viable while the city and partners look for sustainable models.
Council members asked about web resources, landlord engagement, rent levels and the downtown vacancy mix. Miller said an economic development web page with start‑up guides and links is near completion and that his outreach strategy often begins with one‑on‑one contact with property owners; he also cited WhitmanCountyTrends.org as a local data source showing commercial rent differentials between Whitman County and Spokane.
On child care, Miller said the sector faces narrow margins and certification requirements that make it hard to recruit operators. He said partners are exploring facility conversions (for example, using under‑utilized church space) and public‑private collaboration but added that many potential operators see low profitability and regulatory hurdles.
Miller repeated that economic development is “a team sport” that relies on the Port, WSU, Gladys Community Center and other partners. He closed by urging the council to publicize department resources and to continue building relationships with property owners and regional partners.
Ending note: Council members praised Miller’s outreach and asked staff to continue sharing data and resources; Miller said more materials and a refreshed web presence are coming in the following weeks.
