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EDG director outlines 'Drive' collaboration, cites move to downtown to boost visibility
Summary
Brad Coulter, EDG executive director, described a new 'Drive' collaboration to reduce duplicated services among local organizations and said relocating EDG to 410 Central downtown will increase foot traffic and community connections.
Brad Coulter, executive director of EDG, told attendees that his first months on the job were a "listening tour" to learn how other communities organize economic development and partnerships. He said connecting with successful peers helped shape a concept he calls Drive, intended to bring local organizations together to coordinate resources and set shared goals.
"One of the things I found...was better communication between resources in the community," Coulter said. He described Drive as a convener model — regular meetings where organizations compare efforts so they don't "do the exact same thing 3 times" and can redirect leftover capacity toward new projects.
Coulter also described a recent real-estate change for EDG: the office sold its longtime property known locally as the Ivy Tech building at 721 West 21st Street and relocated to 410 Central in the downtown area. "We're in the downtown area where more things are happening," he said, adding that the move has increased walk-in traffic and visibility.
The relocation and Drive concept are both pitched as ways to make the community more attractive to employers by improving coordination, signage and the overall impression visitors get when they pass through downtown. Coulter said the former EDG building will return to the tax rolls under new ownership and is expected to house community-serving tenants.
