The Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce outlined its economic development plan for 2016 during its monthly membership coffee Friday, noting priorities that include support for local education programs, a labor availability study and further tourism promotion at the historic Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP).
While continuing its current efforts to attract new businesses to the area, the chamber has also started a couple projects of its own.
"We are tired of waiting for things to come to us, and so what we're doing is trying to create our own two projects," said Randy Allen, chamber president/CEO.
Referred to currently as "Project Alpha" and "Project Bravo," the first is technology-based and second is manufacturing-related. The manufacturing-related project would target a new packaging facility for meat products, an industry the chamber believes the area could support.
"Hopefully something will come from both of those projects," Allen said, noting more details could be released at a later time.
The chamber announced plans in November to conduct a formal labor availability study for the Jefferson City area.
"Our unemployment rate is very, very low. We're one of the lowest in the state of Missouri and the lowest in the country. So we really need to dive into our labor and see what it really looks like and quantitate that," said Missy Bonnot, director of economic development for the chamber. "We have a lot of people that are struggling now to fill positions."
The study would account for lower-level positions as well as professional positions, and could cost up to $15,000-$20,000 to hire a professional firm to conduct the study.
The chamber also intends to prioritize support for education as a form of workforce development, continuing programs like the JC Start intern program and the Central Missouri Innovation Campus, which provides scholarships for low-income Lincoln University and State Technical College students majoring in certain IT-related fields - as well as adding new programs like the potential "P-20 education" (preschool through post-graduate) initiative.
"The idea is to create a council of the local schools - both higher education and the K-12 schools - to improve the connections between the schools and the businesses," Allen said. "Businesses are looking for certain things, and we want to make sure the schools provide that."
The chamber's 2016 plans also account for Lincoln University, with promoting a potential "LU village" near the campus as a primary focus.
"Most universities have an area outside of campus that is considered the university village - housing, commercial areas and so on," Allen said. "There's not enough housing for students currently that attend Lincoln University, so we want to begin the process of looking at Lafayette, Chestnut and Dunklin streets as a potential corridor for this kind of development."
The chamber would also support efforts to revitalize LU's local alumni group, to continue progress on the planned wellness center and to build up the new LU Small Business Development Center.
As for MSP, which drew about 25,000 visitors this year, the chamber plans to support a large concert to be held inside the old prison facility in conjunction with the July 2016 Salute to America celebration.
"It's still in its planning efforts," Allen said. "The city, the county and the chamber have provided a $75,000 loan to the Salute to America Foundation to maybe get that kick-started. We hope to have a big name, sell tickets and have it actually in the venue at MSP."
One obstacle to hosting events at MSP in the past would be on hold for the planned concert.
"We've struggled to try to get things in the prison before. One of the big hindrances is we can't serve alcohol in there," Allen said. "The governor has given us the go-ahead for this particular concert to see if we can pull off a very safe environment, just like at Thursday Night Live."
The chamber also is working to secure a monetary agreement between Jefferson City, Cole County and the state of Missouri to fund infrastructure and redevelopment at MSP in 2016.
Other 2016 priorities for the chamber include:
Supporting the work of the Old Town Revitalization Company to redevelop the Capitol Avenue area.
Supporting efforts to develop access to Jefferson City's riverfront and Adrian's Island.
Assisting local developers to start a minor-league baseball team and entertainment complex in Jefferson City.
Providing support to Cole County and Jefferson City as their "Series G" capital improvement sales tax extensions go up for vote in April and August, respectively.