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

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Carter is working on retaining and expandinyg existing businesses in Clayton and overseeing economicdevelopmenf efforts. The Business Journal asked Cartedr about those efforts and the impact ofthe recession. What is your strategy to attract new companiesand development? Clayton is poisedx to implement a new strategicx economic development plan. While still beingb refined, the strategy’s focus is on attracting new business, on nurturinhg the nearly 2,000 businesses that currently callClaytonj home, on encouraging redevelopmen and conducting targeted marketing campaigns. Existing businesses are Clayton’ss catalyst for growth.
With companies like Enterprise, Graybar, Centene, and , Clayton’s economic base is solid and The efforts toretain these, and all Clayton will focus on helpinfg them grow in Clayton. To attracf or retain businesses and to creatwe new investmentand jobs, the city will considerf 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 updatewthe city’s central businesse district master plan. The hope is to leverage asset suchas , , , and existingv corporations and redevelopment into a deliberate plan for economicx growth.
With this growth will come opportunity to addmore world-clasw office space for organizations interested in capitalizing on Clayton’s premier business environment. Clayton will begi n to take its regional reputation as a leadingy business center to thenational market. The city will begijn increasing its economic development via a targetedmarketing campaign. Clayton will seek to attracgt new jobs and investment to the region by promotingt its amenities on anational level. What major projectds are moving ahead? Admittedlt the economy has slowedsome projects. the Centene project has closed onits financing, and constructioh activity is well under way.
In addition, and Resort and RJ York recently announced theird plans to begin constructionj in 2010 ofa 245-room Westin Hotel. Huscn Blackwell Sanders is proceeding witha 15,000-square-foot build-out of additional space in the Clayton Plaza. Once the economy has stabilized, we expec t many of the pending projectsto proceed. What does the city hope to achievde by conducting itsretaikl analysis? Clayton benefits from an already stronbg retail base provided in part by the 80 qualityh restaurants that call Clayton home. Many of the area’d best chefs run kitchens in our restaurants.
Clayton’sz four business districts combine a mix of charming retail shops and many of the finesr eating establishments inthe region. However, as part of the centraol business districtplanning process, the city will conductr a retail study. The ultimat e goal will be to enhance one ofthe city’s finestt amenities: its retail community. A vibranyt retail environment attracts residents and adds vitalityu to the central The analysis should help energizr retaildevelopment downtown, establish a plan for an appropriate retaikl mix and coordinate the different new developments. How is the city of Claytonb positioning itself to attractmore retailers?
We believ e the retail analysis will assist in answering this However, we also believe that getting Clayton’s storyy out to potential retailers will also attract more Clayton has a lot to offer. Clayto has over 50,000 daytime 80 restaurants and 50,000-plue households within a 3-mile radius. In addition, Clayton has always been the originalplifestyle center. Is Claytoh considering any new programs to attract andretain businesses? Included in the yet-to-be-adopted strategic economic development there exists an economic developmengt incentive application and policy.
This is not to say that Claytob is enteringthe zero-su game of local competition for existing but that as it moves forward with recruiting new businesse to the area, it will consider each projecty on a case-by-case Furthermore, the city will examinse assisting businesses in less than traditionaol manners such as leveraged marketing and other programs that may enhanc e economic activity.