Each year, the members of the boards from Waldo, Brookside and Southtown gather together for an afternoon of learning, dreaming, and planning about the future of the community. This year, the group worked on ways to champion our area to the rest of the city and encourage more development and reinvestment.
Mid America Regional Council Director David Warm painted a picture of our community and how it fits into the region, focusing on the drivers that will impact our future. These included industry concentration, innovation, and the quality of the built and natural environment. For example, demographic trends show a trending population decline in our area as family size declines. People are downsizing and moving into smaller homes. We need to be ready to adapt to the market changes. Assistant City Manager Bob Langenkamp presented updates on current and potential projects including Cerner Project, Oxford on the Blue, Bannister complex, 63rd/Prospect, and others.
By the end of the day, there were three areas of focus: redevelopment and reuse of properties; transportation opportunities; and innovation/education. All three of these lead to an increase in jobs, community stabilization, and a more competitive atmosphere. To tackle these opportunities, we need to increase relationships with developers, realtors, technology companies and area educational institutions; promote and increase the branding of the areas; and promote more business to business activity and small business support. Stay tuned as the boards continue to tackle these issues.