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Economic development director previews incentives, Old Town grants and small-business tools
Summary
Leander's economic development director outlined recruitment priorities, a proposed incentive fund, Old Town façade and infrastructure grants, a small-business portal and an upcoming small-business forum.
Randall Molek, Leander's economic development director, briefed council on existing and proposed programs designed to retain and recruit employers and support small businesses.
Molek said outreach is focused on recruiting primary employers as more commercial product becomes available, typically using Chapter 380 agreements and tax rebates. Staff will propose a separate incentive fund during the budget process to increase competitiveness for large employer recruitment.
For restaurants, a destination-restaurant incentive program remains available; Molek noted two successful recruitments: a barbecue restaurant now open and Estancia Steakhouse under construction. Molek previewed two Old Town programs for council feedback: a façade-improvement matching grant for up to $20,000 per business and an infrastructure-improvement grant up to $50,000 to support costly items such as utility or sidewalk extensions.
Molek said the city will launch "SizeUp Leander," a software tool for small business benchmarking and customer mapping, and is finalizing a small-business guide. He invited residents and entrepreneurs to a small-business forum at council chambers next Monday, open to the public.
Why it matters: The measures aim to balance placemaking in Old Town with long-term employer recruitment and to provide technical and financial tools for small businesses as Leander's population and commercial activity increase.
What's next: Staff will return with budget requests for a targeted incentive fund and implementation guidelines for the Old Town grant programs and will launch SizeUp Leander and the small-business guide this summer.
