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Corvallis‑Benton EDO seeks priorities; food‑hub grants move to selection
Summary
Christopher Jacobs updated the board on the Corvallis‑Benton Economic Development Office strategic plan, county business registry work, site inventories and a competitive ARPA food‑hub grant process; a five‑member selection committee will score applications and make awards.
Christopher Jacobs, director of the Corvallis‑Benton Economic Development Office, briefed commissioners on quarterly progress for the office’s strategic plan and on several ongoing projects including a county business registry, commercial property inventory, priority redevelopment sites and a food‑hub ARPA grant process.
Jacobs said EDO staff identified 2,112 commercial or industrial parcels countywide and verified contact information for a small subset as the initial step toward a county business registry. He told the board the registry will help outreach, site selection work and program delivery once populated.
On the food‑hub ARPA grant, Jacobs said the office received 10 applications totaling roughly $1.7 million against $495,000 available and will convene a five‑member selection committee to score and recommend awards. He described partnerships with small‑business support organizations and cited efforts to reach Spanish‑speaking applicants.
Why it matters: the EDO’s work directs limited county economic development resources toward priorities such as multi‑unit housing incentives, industrial site readiness and workforce programs tied to regional partners.
Ending: Jacobs asked commissioners to complete an upcoming prioritization survey to guide which projects the joint public bodies should advance first.
