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Council Bluffs Chamber completes merger, unveils 2025 strategic plan focused on jobs, population and placemaking
Summary
Chris Laferla told the City Council the Chamber of Commerce and the Community Action Initiative completed a merger in late 2024 and adopted a 2025 strategic plan that emphasizes economic growth, population growth and quality of life, and that the Chamber board has voted to support a proposed development at Dodge Park.
Chris Laferla, with the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber Community Action Initiative, told the City Council the two organizations completed a merger toward the end of 2024 and have adopted a new strategic plan for 2025 focused on economic growth, population growth and quality of life.
Laferla said the merger produced a revised mission “to strengthen businesses and build partnerships that promote economic growth and community development,” and that the integration will let the organizations expand business retention services, workforce programming and redevelopment work under the 712 Initiative.
The Chamber reported more than 700 member businesses and nonprofits; planned or existing programs Laferla cited include Leadership Council Bluffs, Youth Leadership, a relaunch of the Young Professionals Network, a small housing rehabilitation program, and events such as Celebrate CB Week, the Shamrock Shuffle and the farmers market.
On redevelopment work tied to the 712 Initiative, Laferla listed past and current projects in the downtown redevelopment area including the Hughes Irons building, the Cohen Building and an active project at 12 Scott Street north of the Cohen Building. He said placemaking and neighborhood-strengthening programs will be part of the Initiative’s 2025 work.
Laferla said the Chamber board voted two weeks earlier to support a proposed development at Dodge Park and that the Chamber will hold informational sessions for members about what such a development could mean for economic and population growth in Council Bluffs.
When a council member asked whether the Chamber has year-to-year population targets, Laferla said the strategic plan was finalized in December and recommended that the Chamber, city, county and regional partners set benchmarks; he said capturing roughly 10 percent of projected Omaha-metro growth would move Council Bluffs’ growth rate toward parity with the region. Laferla cited a regional planning projection (Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, MAPA) that the Omaha metro could grow by about 400,000 people by 2050 and said Council Bluffs should plan to capture some of that growth.
Laferla closed by offering continued partnership with the city and making himself available for follow-up questions and coordination.
