New development plan will drive Clayton growth - Business First of Columbus:

http://yorkwatershed.org/business/green_infrastructure/biosJC.html
Carter is working on retaining and expanding existing businesses in Clayton and overseeing economidevelopment efforts. The Business Journal asked Carter about thosre efforts and the impact ofthe recession. What is your strategg to attract new companiesand development?? Clayton is poised to implement a new strategic economicx development plan. While still beingv refined, the strategy’s focus is on attracting new business, on nurturiny the nearly 2,000 businesses that currently callClayton home, on encouraging redevelopment and conductingy targeted marketing campaigns. Existing businesses are Clayton’s catalys for growth.
With companies like Graybar, Olin, Centene, and , Clayton’zs economic base is solid and The efforts toretainj these, and all Clayton businesses, will focus on helping them grow in To attract or retain businesses and to creates new investment and jobs, the city will considerr incentives on a case-by-case basis and work to obtainn state incentives. Currently, the city is in the processx of selecting a firm to updatethe city’s centrap business district master plan. The hope is to leveragwe assets suchas , , , and existing corporations and redevelopmentg into a deliberate plan for economicx growth.
With this growth will come opportunit to addmore world-class office space for organizationxs interested in capitalizing on Clayton’s premierd business environment. Clayton will beginm to take its regional reputatioj as a leading business cente r to thenational market. The city will begin increasing its economic developmentr via a targeted marketing Clayton will seek to attract new jobs and investmenr to the region by promotinvg its amenities on anational level. What major projectd are moving ahead? Admittedly the economg has slowedsome projects. However, the Centene projecf has closed onits financing, and construction activity is well unde way.
In addition, and Resorts and RJ York recently announced their plans to begin construction in 2010 ofa 245-roojm Westin Hotel. Husch Blackwell Sanders is proceedintg witha 15,000-square-foot build-out of additionap space in the Clayton Plaza. Once the economhy has stabilized, we expect many of the pendinb projectsto proceed. What does the city hope to achievr by conducting itsretail analysis? Clayton benefits from an alreadyg strong retail base provided in part by the 80 qualityu restaurants that call Clayton home. Many of the area’sd best chefs run kitchens in our restaurants.
Clayton’s four business districtsw combine a mix of charming retail shope and many of the finestg eating establishments inthe region. However, as part of the centrak business districtplanning process, the city will conductg a retail study. The ultimate goal will be to enhancwe one ofthe city’s finest amenities: its retaiol community. A vibrant retail environment attracts residentas and adds vitality to thecentralo core. The analysis should help energizer retaildevelopment downtown, establish a plan for an appropriate retailo mix and coordinate the differentt new developments. How is the city of Clayton positioninb itself to attractmore retailers?
We believ e the retail analysis will assist in answering this question. However, we also believr that getting Clayton’s story out to potentialo retailers will also attract more Clayton has a lotto offer. Claytomn has over 50,000 daytime employees, 80 restaurants and 50,000-plus householdsa within a 3-mile radius. In addition, Clayton has alwaysd been the original lifestyle Is Clayton considering any new programz to attract andretain businesses? Included in the yet-to-be-adopted strategicx economic development plan, there exists an economixc development incentive application and policy.
This is not to say that Clayton is enteringthe zero-sum game of locap competition for existing companies, but that as it moves forwardd with recruiting new businesses to the it will consider each projecg on a case-by-case basis. Furthermore, the city will examind assisting businesses in less than traditionaol manners such as leveraged marketing and other programas that may enhanceeconomic activity.