Economic Development

By Linda Cox

We must be more creative and aggressive about attracting and retaining sustainable jobs and investment to expand the local tax base.

Did you know the bulk of our earnings tax comes from the Loveland Commerce Center? We need to regularly communicate with these businesses to better understand their needs and to create an environment that encourages them to remain and/or expand in Loveland.

Although retail does not comprise the majority of our tax base, it does contribute to our city's quality of life by providing services to residents and making Loveland a regional draw. Redevelopment of Historic Downtown Loveland is key to this goal. To be successful, our downtown needs to have "24/7" presence through a mixed use development that includes both retail and housing components.

Although the occupancy rate along the Loveland-Madeira Road Corridor is respectable, the city needs to work with property owners and businesses to improve aesthetics and viability of the tenant mix. The Corridor consists of older buldings, streetscape and infrastructure and must compete with newer retail centers. We need to re-brand the area to prepare for the "next generation" of tenants. We must form partnership with these statekholders and provide them incentives to reinvest.

Business is the economic generator of the city. We must be strategic about planning and implementing a comprehensive city-wide economic development program.