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City manager outlines economic-development tracking, business support and early data-center inquiry
Summary
City Manager Gregory Rose presented a multi-part economic development plan including a new quarterly report, a business retention and recruitment program with incubator support for minority- and women-owned firms, outreach to fill remaining Market at Olive retail space, and early-stage inquiries from data-center investors; staff said environmental and utility impacts must be assessed before any proposal is advanced.
City Manager Gregory Rose told the University City Council at a Saturday work session that staff will prepare a quarterly economic development report to give council a clearer picture of business activity, investment and project status across the city. "The first project is the creation of a quarterly economic development report," Rose said, adding the report would track the number and type of businesses and the status of major projects.
Rose described a second program focused on business retention and recruitment, led by Economic Development Manager Becky Alvin, that has surveyed business owners in the Loop and is considering incubator-style assistance tailored to minority- and women-owned firms. "The idea is to create some sort of incubator program that can help minority and women-owned businesses to be better at operating," he said. Staff also said they are discussing grant uses with the EDRST board to support expansion and recruitment efforts.
Council members pressed staff on recruitment priorities. Council Member Clay noted the tension between recruiting high-wage, knowledge-based companies and relying on sales-tax-generating retail along Olive Boulevard. "They don't sell anything that we can really derive tax revenue from," Clay said of some high-tech employers, prompting staff to explain a mixed strategy: retain sales-tax drivers in retail corridors while pursuing higher-paying jobs that boost residents' incomes and local buying power.
The Market at Olive came up as a concrete example of work still to do. Councilors asked whether the city is assisting the developer to fill a remaining 4,200-square-foot space next to Jersey Mike's; staff said most parcels have changed hands, one remaining parcel is associated with Deerbergs, and the city will contact developers to offer assistance with leasing.
Separately, Rose reported the city has been contacted by investors exploring the possibility of siting a data center in University City. "We know what we've heard regarding the impacts to the environment and the potential impacts to residents' electric bills because of the significant amount of electricity power that's needed for the data centers," he said, stressing the matter is in an early exploratory stage and that staff will research potential environmental, utility and fiscal impacts before bringing any recommendation to the council.
What happens next: staff said they will continue the retention-and-recruitment work, bring a draft quarterly economic report for council review, follow up with the Market at Olive developers about leasing, and return with a recommended scope and cost estimates for any proposed incubator or partnership. The council asked staff to vet potential partners and to be explicit about what the city can and cannot control when private property owners make leasing decisions.
