Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
GRANGE COUNTY <br />Fsmwar.<Wudapnem <br />Cw ressmn <br />Specific Recommendations <br />1. ASAP, commit the county to bringing water and wastewater infrastructure to the Buckhorn and Eno <br />Economic Development Districts (EDDs) within a timeframe that establishes confidence with <br />developers, investors, and business owners. <br />2. ASAP, complete all phases of the Unified Development Ordinance effort within a timeframe that <br />establishes confidence with developers, investors, and business owners and also results in an <br />reduction in the time needed for a project to go from application to permit issuance and into <br />construction.. <br />3. Continue to build on re-established connections with the Research Triangle Regional Partnership. <br />4. Increase the county's engagement with value-adding economic development - related research centers <br />at UNC, Duke, and NC State, as well as other institutions and organizations. <br />S. Enter into a one -year contract with economic development specialists at UNC- Chapel Hill for <br />research and consulting services focusing on critical topics such as industry cluster analysis, R &D <br />spin -offs from local universities, financing plans for the EDD infrastructure investments, best <br />practices for sustainable economic development, and developing benchmarks and metrics for tracking <br />the county's progress regarding economic development. <br />6. Identify and dedicate a funding source for recurring annual investments in the local economic <br />development tool kit. <br />7. Capitalize a pilot fund for business recruitment and retention and re- capitalize the small business loan <br />fund. <br />8. Task staff to get the Buckhorn and Eno EDDs certified by the NC Department of Commerce as <br />development- ready. <br />9. Identify and designate additional land for commercial development in addition and/or adjacent —to <br />the EDDs. <br />The EDC acknowledges that these recommendations call on other departments and outside agencies to <br />help improve Orange County's economic development prospects. For instance, the county planning <br />department will be instrumental in implementing the first two recommendations. Additionally, the EDC <br />recommends that the county commissioners and manager identify and implement reliable and sustained <br />funding for the economic development strategy outlined in this document. <br />E.rnecte(l Resalts <br />The EDC is confident that adontin¢ and fully fundine these recommendations will lead to improved <br />economic development outcomes, including increased tax revenues available for education and <br />other program funding in Orange Coun <br />It is critical that Orange County begin receiving a share of the economic development bounty regularly <br />bestowed upon and within our metropolitan area that is commensurate with Orange County's population, <br />central location, positive transportation assets, educated workforce, high quality of life, and world-class <br />University- anchor. For instance, the region was the recipient of $1,900,000,000 in private investment and <br />10,000 new jobs in 2009, alone —yet none of these accrued to Orange County. <br />2 1 Page <br />