Study aimed at shaping the Springs area's future
With the national economy in crisis and the Pikes Peak region's vitality on the line, now is the time to consider what new strategies are needed to attract jobs to the area, civic leaders said.
Which companies and industries are best suited for Colorado Springs, what types of jobs should be pursued and the responsibilities of the community to accomplish those goals will be the focus of a new economic development study launched by a coalition of business people, government officials and community leaders.
The six-month, $160,000 "Operation 6035" study, so named to reflect the Springs' elevation, is being conducted by the Austin, Texas-based AngelouEconomics and is being funded by nearly 20 community and business groups and local governments. It will be the first such far-reaching, self-examination since a Chicago consultant made several economic development recommendations 20 years ago that generally were credited with leading to the arrival of Apple Computer, MCI Telecommunications and the Focus on the Family ministry during the early 1990s.
Community leaders stressed the study will play a major role in shaping the Pikes Peak region for years by determining its employer base, types of jobs and, as a result, its quality of life.
"I truly believe the community needs to decide what we want to be from a business perspective in five, 10, 20 years, and then align our resources to meet certain outcomes along that path," said Mike Kazmierski, president of the Colorado Springs Regional Economic Development Corp. "If we choose not to do that, then ... we will not be able to determine our destiny, but will have to respond to it."
At a news conference at the downtown Antlers Hilton hotel, however, several community leaders stressed Operation 6035 is a broad-based study, and not being conducted for the EDC. It will take stock of the community as a whole and what role city and county officials, educators, business people and the public will need to play to bring jobs to town.
"Economic development is not just the sole responsibility of the EDC," said Chris Jenkins, president of Springs-based Nor'wood Development Group and co-chairman of the project with Pam Shockley-Zalabak, chancellor of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
Operation 6035 will examine past and current economic development efforts; assess the community's strengths and weaknesses and which businesses might be attracted by the area's resources and assets; and look at how the Springs stacks up against other cities in the competition to woo businesses, whether other communities' strategies are needed here, including the possible use of incentives.
The analysis will include focus groups with 12 to 15 community organizations and interviews with civic leaders. Participants in Wednesday's news conference stressed that public input will be vital to the success of Operation 6035. The public can offer comments and take surveys at a new Web site, www.operation6035.com. Regular updates and news conferences on the study will be offered between now and mid-June, when the study is to be completed.
"Our whole goal will be to align your resources," said Angelos Angelou, the founder of AngelouEconomics, who spent 11 years with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.
"You are a great community. You have assets that others would die for. And in some cases, those assets have been leveraged well, and I'm sure in others, they have not."
What It Is
Operation 6035 is a far-reaching study designed to assess the Pikes Peak region's economic development efforts, what types of employers, industries and jobs are best suited for the area and whether new strategies are needed to attract businesses. The study will be conducted by Austin, Texas-based AngelouEconomics, an economic development and site selection consultant.
Timeline
The six-month $160,000 study is scheduled for completion in mid-June. Updates will be released every 40 days. The report's first phase will analyze the area's strengths and weaknesses and examine economic development efforts in other cities. A second phase will focus on investigating five or six industries the Springs might target and a marketing plan to attract those industries. A third phase will include implementation and marketing strategies.
Get involved
More information is available at www.operation6035.com, where members of the public can learn about the study, read periodic updates, offer comments and take surveys.
FUNDING THE STUDY
The Operation 6035 study is being sponsored and funded by The Broadmoor hotel; Bryan Construction Inc.; the city of Colorado Springs; the city of Fountain; Colorado Springs Utilities; the Colorado Springs Regional Economic Development Corp.; El Paso County; the El Pomar Foundation; Experience Colorado Springs; the Gill Foundation; Keller Homes; La Plata Communities; Nor'wood Development Group; the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors; the Pikes Peak Workforce Center; the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs; and Wells Fargo.
