Consultants outline 5‑goal economic development plan for New Prague, emphasizing business support, redevelopment and a housing review

Consultants leading a draft economic development strategic plan presented five goals to a joint New Prague City/EDA meeting and asked for feedback on strategies and priorities.

The consultant said the process began in June with a level‑setting meeting that examined trends, demographics and a SWOT tied to the city’s comprehensive plan update. “We started working on creating goals from that discussion, refining those goals, and starting to draft strategies,” the consultant said, presenting the plan’s five broad goals and proposed strategies.

Why it matters: The plan is framed as a 5–10 year road map to support local business growth, attract redevelopment investment in priority sites (including the downtown and the former flour mill), sharpen New Prague’s market positioning and evaluate housing needs to support local employers.

The draft goals are: foster a supportive environment for businesses (softening earlier language about “strengthening” the industrial and commercial tax base); promote redevelopment and reinvestment in targeted sites; establish New Prague’s competitive edge through marketing and workforce ties; support and review housing opportunities (including exploring whether the EDA should take on HRA responsibilities under state statute); and secure resources to implement the plan.

Consultants proposed concrete strategies tied to those goals: identify land availability for future development, expand business retention and site‑visit programs, create site brochures and marketing materials for broker events, review zoning and the Unified Development Code to remove barriers, and consider capitalization options such as a revolving loan fund or tailored public‑assistance policies. “Listing out the tools within the toolbox for not only the EDA but the city council, to be able to provide some level of public assistance,” the consultant said, “should be reviewed on a case‑by‑case basis.”

Participants urged inclusivity in the business‑support goal, asking that retail, food service and home‑based businesses be clearly covered rather than limiting the focus to heavy industrial classifications. A participant suggested explicitly flagging home‑based businesses after noting local firms that grew from homes into storefronts.

On redevelopment, staff said work is underway with Bolton & Menk on a Unified Development Code update tied to the comprehensive plan; the UDC will include flexible standards for the former mill building and other downtown parcels. Staff also advised using county vacancy and market data, CoStar or assessor metrics, and targeted business surveys to shape demand assumptions before approving incentives.

Consultants and participants repeatedly flagged housing as a cross‑cutting issue: employers report hiring needs but difficulty filling positions because workers cannot find housing nearby. The consultant recommended pairing employer wage data with housing demand metrics to inform what types and price points would be supportable locally.

Next steps: The consulting team will refine goals and strategies, assign short‑, mid‑ and long‑term action timelines, and establish tracking metrics. The consultant said the final plan is expected to be adopted later this year (November or December) and will return first to the EDA before going to the city council.

The meeting closed with the Chair accepting no further items and a motion to adjourn passed by voice vote.