ECFRPC presents Titusville economic‑development plan; recommends workforce pipelines, corridor focus and a trust fund

Luis Neres Ruiz, director of economic development for the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (ECFRPC), presented the final economic development strategic plan for Titusville, describing a year‑long process of data analysis, three focus groups (city leaders, businesses and residents) and a SWOT assessment that produced goals and actionable strategies.

"We are a council of governments located in Orlando," Ruiz said, summarizing the ECFRPC's role and the project methodology. He told council members the plan assessed roughly 30 metrics, evaluated land use and environmental constraints, and identified 10 corridors of economic significance. The plan does not include a fixed time frame for implementation; Ruiz said that decision was left open because the city's capacity and budgeting priorities vary.

Major recommendations in the report include creating a business‑education task force to strengthen career pathways (including ties to Eastern Florida State College), establishing an economic development trust fund to provide match dollars for federal grants, treating the trail system as an economic asset to grow a leisure economy and prioritizing corridor revitalization (US 1, Hopkins and Garden Street were cited). Ruiz said industry clusters tied to aerospace and an outcrop of cooling/hydrogen‑related firms offer opportunities, but he cautioned that "diversify[ing] your economy away from aerospace" is important to reduce cyclical risk.

Ruiz highlighted workforce challenges: the report identifies several census tracts with labor‑force participation rates below county and national averages and recommends targeted workforce entry programs and partnerships with businesses and training institutions. He recounted asking a direct question in meetings: "if I were to come from McDonald's today and I show up in your doorstep can I get 1 of your jobs?" to illustrate pathways into local employment.

Council members asked for implementation detail and suggested follow‑up workshops. Member Stockel asked whether the plan had a time line; Ruiz said it did not include a single, fixed schedule. Member Muscoso and others recommended a council workshop to break the plan into assignable sections and monitor progress. Staff and the presenter noted a special meeting on economic development scheduled for May 30 to continue the discussion.

The plan also flags infrastructure and environmental risks, including localized flooding and potential sea‑level impacts along some corridors, and recommends further vulnerability and infrastructure studies before choosing engineering solutions. No formal council action was taken at the presentations meeting; items from the plan will be considered at future meetings.