Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutEDAC - 2016-01-27 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES th January 27, 2016 City of Kitchener The Economic Development Advisory Committee met on this date, chaired by Paul Singh, co-chaired by Jeremy Auger with the following members were present: Mark Hopkins, Shantal Myers, Johanna Classon- Romero, Darrin Snider, Mark Bingeman, Adrian Conrad, Scott Davey, Philip Jones, Jeremy Auger, Jamie Yantzi, Bil Ioannidis. Staff in attendance: Mistie Brown, Rod Regier, Janette Macdonald, Cory Bluhm, Chris Farrell, Brian Bennett The acceptance of minutes for December 16, 2015 was moved by Shantal, carried by the committee. Minutes are approved. 1. Neighbourhood Strategy presented by Michelle Drake. Highlights include: - There was no former neighbourhood strategy but this process will hopefully improve upon the initiatives/programs already developed and encourage grass-roots initiatives. - - The project team includes 28 members including community members, staff and community partners. - Project team attended 27 community events and engaged with community members through a lemonade stand. -The initial feedback was very high level: identifying how they define their geographical neighbourhood, what they liked best about their neighbourhood. -To build awareness, the project team launched a Facebook campaign to feature the stories of community members in their respective neighbourhood They also launched colouring books. - They are currently brainstorming community engagement streams. Proposed streams include: Creative, Conversational and Online. - Launching the community engagement streams in April 2016. To follow the process, you can sign up for the newsletter or follow on social media. - Michelle poses the question to the committee: what is the best way to connect with members in the business community and are you aware of any events that we could attend? - The neighbourhood strategy could overlap with the Economic Development strategy on items such as public art and possibly others. Michelle suggests that Economic Development submit questions they would like asked during the community feedback phase. - The research gathered from the process will likely be disseminated to other departments within the city such as planning, economic development, among others. - Scott Davey asks if there is a way to get a random controlled group for the purpose of getting feedback from community members who are not typically engaged. 2. Make it Kitchener update presented by Janette MacDonald. Highlights include: - There are 54 action items within this strategy. - Currently building a framework that can be taken to council before further actions are taken. - Organized around 6 items of focus, how to make it happen, the investment/initiative, the current status of project, the approximate time when it will be brought to council, the reserve funds allocated and partner investment. - Items pending council approval include (by 6 items of focus): 1. MAKE IT SPARK: investment in THEMUSEUM maker space 2. MAKE IT START: life sciences incubator (approved), digital content incubator, startup houses, music and media hub and food/restaurant incubator, manufacturing incubator 3. MAKE IT GROW: music, film and media officer, film location library/website 4. MAKE IT URBAN: downtown retail space incentives, land sale/development 5. MAKE IT VIBRANT: urban vitality program 6. MAKE IT CONNECT: GO bus seed funding, digital strategy report - GO bus and VIA Rail conversations are ongoing and to be determined. VIA Rail discussions have been very positive and will include an inbound morning train from Toronto to Kitchener. This is still a work in progress. - Item 53 includes developing a Make it Kitchener brand through a digital campaign (soft launched a new social media channel, website). The launch event will b city address. - Other initiative include parking within the innovation district and unallocated land acquisitions. Committee feedback: - comments that a life science incubator is long overdue and would like to see a steering committee in place to direct this initiative. - Each one of these projects involves partners. - Concerns that there needs to be a bigger business case for item 14 music and media hub for the committee and council. Rod suggests putting this item on the February meeting agenda. He will check with Arts and Culture department to possibly present at the next meeting. - Suggestion to show what the bandwidth is for each item (what is the city leveraging with the proposed investment) and show the market that each item is targeting and project timeline (add in context for the risk) i.e. what is the ROI/potential benefit. - Questions around sustainability of funding for the economic development reserve fund over the long term. Rod comments that beyond 2019, it is important to look at the sustainability of funding and will be brought to council for discussion for ongoing operations requirements. 3. Committee Members i. Updates: - hener perception of the downtown aesthetics have depreciated. - facility and gave a shout out to the Waterloo Region in a recent trip overseas. The expansion of Communitech and Velocity into the old Google space is also promising. moving into the community. - Mark Hopkins is leasing the property at Duke and Breithaupt Street. which is coming along nicely and will work on the exterior this summer. It will be a mixed use commercial building including community organizations, startups and leaving room for other opportunities. proposing $16/sq.ft all-inclusive. Follow along at 283 Duke Street Development on Facebook. ii. What would you like to see as future agenda items? - The committee asks that an email be sent out to get feedback on future agenda items 4. Introducing the Make it Kitchener Artspace Exhibit presented by Eric Rumble. Highlights include: - This project is a soft launch for the publication that would acknowledge the history and context of the document. - Involved images of people making things and re-made/antique objects that represent the manufacturing theme in Kitchener. - The exhibit is open in the Berlin Tower gallery in Kitchener City Hall. Next Meeting: - Eowyn will send out an email to the committee to request proposals for future agenda items. - Item 14 Music and Media Hub discussion with Silvia from Arts & Culture.