By Maureen Vander Sanden
Correspondent
The Union Grove Board of Trustees last week approved a deal with an economic development agency that would continue its longstanding joint working relationship for business growth within the village.
After some fine-tuning of the original document presented in September, at the Oct. 26 Board meeting officials OK’d a yearlong contract for community and economic development assistance from the Racine County Economic Development Corporation (RCEDC).
Effective Jan. 1, 2016, through the end of the year, RCEDC will provide services at a cost of $31,827 – a 3 percent increase over the present year’s contract. Additionally, the village will pay 20 percent of loan payments administered by RCEDC through its Community Development Block Grant Revolving Loan Fund totaling $7,692.30.
RCEDC has been administering loan funds for the village over the past 24 years. Through the loan program, the village offers local businesses below-market interest rates for growth in areas of real estate projects, equipment purchases and limited working capital needs.
Jenny Trick, executive director for RCEDC, told officials the contract represents a more proactive approach for the upcoming year.
“We took a look at 2015 as an organization and wanted to see a little more proactivity. Even though 70 businesses were recruited, we thought we could do better and be smarter,” she told the Board.
In order to meet that goal, RCEDC will expand on its community development assistance by creating a community profile for Union Grove using its business analyst software that will attract businesses and developers.
Using the same software, RCEDC will also develop recruitment proposals for priority development and redevelopment sites such as the three acres north of Dollar General and Main Street frontage at the old hotel and Ball properties.
Information on site opportunities will be sent out to developers, brokers, franchises and restaurants, as well as placed on the village website, according to Trick.
Other ways the agency seeks to further its community development assistance is through building the village’s website with content and links for downtown retail recruitment programs; coordinating with Shepherd’s College on its housing and commercial projects as well as working with the village on identifying market rate senior housing developers for opportunities at the former Mill/Village Hall site.
The contract also highlights business recruitment activities, which will include implementing a targeted business recruitment program with focus on:
- the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor for manufacturing,
- second-stage companies with 100 employees or less and no more than $50 million in sales,
- companies looking to establish initial sales offices leading to distribution and manufacturing,
- water industries,
- advanced manufacturing • food processing.
Under the contract the agency will also continue its business retention and expansion assistance, marketing activities, workforce development services and business finance activities.
Village President Michael Aimone stated he was “quite pleased” with the updated contract, according to minutes from the Community Development Authority’s Oct. 20 meeting.
Initially, when the contract was presented to the CDA Sept. 15, officials questioned why the village is paying for business recruitment – a service which some perceived as not even being utilized.
At that meeting Aimone also suggested the RCEDC help with businesses currently operating in town by possibly reaching out through Chamber meetings. Additionally, he suggested that RCEDC specifically reach out to Shepherd’s College to offer assistance on its upcoming projects.
Aimone said since that meeting, and with a presentation from Trick, the whole dynamics of the contract have changed.
Trick reassured officials: “All and all we want to be proactive by reaching out to developers, bankers and franchises… to be successful.”
-
-
-
-
-