CC PACKET 02091988 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES Page 17,July 1987 With respect to North Memorial, the task force should identify local and national businesses and other organizations producing products oL conducting research related to the medical center's specialties. Such businesses and organizations should be approached about expanding or relocating in the northern suburbs. The North Memorial Medical Center staff could be a valuable resource in this regard. Its physicians know their major suppliers and research centers. (The International Diabetes Center recently moved to St. Louis Park due to the efforts of Park Nicollet Medical Center physicians.) With respect to Medtronic. Inc.,the task force should determine the location of the company's major suppliers and develop a strategy for attracting more of them to the region. It should also ask the company to notify the Association (or a local development official)when spin-off businesses are formed. A special effort should be made to keep these new companies in the region. ✓ The Recreational Equipment Task Force should proceed with special caution. Unlike the other two targets,this industry is not established in the region. The task force should be- gin by examining the industry's growth potential. If these results are positive, it should survey upper midwest manufacturers regarding their expansion plans. It should also survey U. S. industry leaders regarding the need for a research and test center. e Special assistance for larger office complexes. The region needs a full range of office/ industrial facilities to better accomodate resident businesses as they grow and attract outside firms seeking expansion sites. Large office buildings(at least 100,000 square feet)and "campus"settings are rare by comparsion with the remainder of the metropolitan area. Member cities,especially those closest to the region's emerging downtown,should: ✓Review their development plan to identify potential sites for a large scale office complex; ✓ Publicize the availability of these sites, and ✓ Review financial and other incentives to make sure that they can accomodate a large scale office deveiopment. v Identify and brina back-office work to the region. Specific functions and businesses can be targeted using a commuter study to determine where the region's office workers go to work. The commuter study will identify office sector businesses that employ a large number of north suburban residents. These firms should be targeted for expansion in the region. Representatives from the region should contact them regularly. They should share the results of the commuter stud/and point-out other advantages of a north suburban(e.g. lower occupancy costs). Whenever possible,visits should include executives of companies which already have satellite offices in the region (e.g. West Publishing). • Establish a task force to test the feasibility of a metropolitan resort. The Association should test this concept with Four Seasons Hotels Limited, Marriott,Radisson and other hotel/resort developers. It should also determine whether or not a suitable location is available. An ideal one might be a site on the Mississippi River adjacent to the Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park. • BLAZAR RESEARCH