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Gross Arpey reports one project, growth in school construction kits; cites workforce as ongoing hurdle
Summary
Gross Arpey reported one landed project in Q2 — the Sarpy campus for Metropolitan Community College — and said enrollment for its construction kits rose to nearly 1,500. Executive Director Lisa Schieve said workforce availability remains the top concern raised by local employers.
Lisa Schieve, executive director of Gross Arpey, told the Bellevue City Council on Sept. 2 that the economic development partnership landed one project in the second quarter — the Sarpy campus for Metropolitan Community College, which broke ground in June. Schieve gave a brief overview of the organization’s second-quarter report and took council questions.
Schieve said some project activity was slower than typical for the quarter but that the landed MCC project and a number of local expansion projects helped offset the slowdown. She said Gross Arpey conducted several headquarters visits to recruit and retain local employers and to discuss workforce needs.
The report showed growth in Gross Arpey’s free “construction kits” program for local schools: the program distributed nearly 1,500 kits this year, up from about 1,100 previously. Schieve said the annual cost to assemble the kits is roughly $50,000 and thanked partners and donors who help fund the program.
When Councilman Waltz asked what the city could do to help, Schieve said the most common issue businesses raise is access to a skilled workforce. She urged continued coordination between employers and the education system to align pipelines of trained workers to business needs.
Schieve closed by noting community engagement efforts and local expansions and invited further council questions. She also briefly mentioned upcoming community theater dates for Bellevue Little Theater as a personal announcement.
