ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
VISION
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
VISION
The Bay Area is an equitable, vital business community providing good jobs and a strong, diverse economic base. Leaders balance long term strategies for planned economic growth with decisive actions in a constantly changing marketplace. Efforts focus on training the local workforce to meet the requirements of new industry and, at the same time, match new job opportunities with existing skills. Taking advantage of our coastal location, proximity to Mexico and new technology, we are highly competitive in international markets. Our mutually supportive business climate advances the success of individual businesses which work together to build economic strength and stability of the whole area.
STRATEGY
Future economic growth of the Bay Area hinges on our ability to strategically position Corpus Christi as a conduit for national and international trade. By developing increased interstate and four-lane highway access to both Laredo and the Valley, as well as expansion of our port to handle a wider variety of cargo, can change our current status. Our current status, being the end of the road, can be transformed into a major transportation (intermodal) center through which one can ship goods throughout the North American Continent and to the world beyond, via, road, railroad, sea and air.
Vision 2000 stakeholders initially identified ten goals for economic development of Corpus Christi and the surrounding area. During the following months the Economic Development Task Force met and listened to community resource persons address aspects of the ten goals. With an increased understanding of the issues, Task Force members concluded that some of the goals were already being partially met by current community actions, or would be met by the private sector should demand exist. Below is a partial listing of our recommended action plans designed to realize this communities "VISION 2000".
ACTIONS
Secure I-69 access between Corpus Christi and the Greater Rio Grande Valley and a four-lane access to Laredo, providing the routes needed to turn the Corpus Christi area into the import/export center for Northern Mexico. The area's elected officials, the Greater Corpus Christi Business Alliance, and all concerned citizens must aggressively lobby for funding of the US 77/281 and State Highway 44/US 59 route improvements, upgrading the current highway system to high-capacity standard.
Create a world class port and intermodal transportation system, including rail, trucking, air freight, and shipping lines, allowing aggressive international competition.
The city, county, school districts, and Del Mar College should establish a timetable and plans to implement a performance based assessment program determining the unit cost of all its services. These cost should then be published and steps taken to reduce the cost of providing these services through privatization and consolidation. Quarterly progress reports will be made to the community by all taxing entities with the ultimate goal of reducing the property tax burden to encourage the expansion and relocation of businesses to our community.
Develop an education process to secure a highly skilled workforce to meet existing and future educational needs and provide leverage in the recruitment of new industry. Establish a medium of communication between business and education which promotes an effective and efficient use of area resources, including money, time, equipment, and facilities, in an effort to train the best possible workforce.
Enhance public awareness of existing programs and other initiatives available to assist with the development and growth of small and historically underutilized businesses and economically depressed or recovering areas.
The Minority Business Opportunity Council (MBOC) must work with the Greater Corpus Christi Business Alliance/Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and other appropriate groups to promote and establish a Corpus Christi Interdependence Forum within three months.
The Small Business Administration (SBA), MBOC, SBDC, and other area economic-development groups must work aggressively to improve educational and funding opportunities for start-up and existing businesses, in the Bay Area.
The City of Corpus Christi and Nueces County must cooperatively to implement "enterprise community" projects on the westside and northside areas of Corpus Christi and in Robstown.
The Greater Corpus Christi Business Alliance must continue and expand efforts to establish an information center to coordinate with the City and County to make their infrastructure information easily accessible to off-site inquires. The center should interact with all local businesses to obtain a listing of their capabilities.