The City of College Station hosted a ‘Business Over Breakfast’ event focused on economic development at Visit College Station. Attendees included elected officials, city staff, business owners, and other stakeholders. This marked the first step in updating the city’s Economic Development Master Plan, with the last update occurring in 2020 during the pandemic.
Consultants led discussions on topics such as the meaning of economic development, areas lacking amenities, opportunities over the next five years, and defining success for the city. Mayor John Nichols emphasized the importance of budgeting, regulatory environments, and support mechanisms to attract businesses that diversify the economy. Participants highlighted needs for more live music options, children’s entertainment, and improved healthcare access.
Affordable housing, business diversity, and entertainment investments were recurring themes. Concerns about water access, traffic, and infrastructure were also raised as potential barriers to growth. Valen Cepak, a former council candidate, stressed the importance of keeping development plans updated to align with technological and societal changes.
Mayor Nichols posed a guiding question to staff: ‘What is the city’s role in collaborating with the private sector to drive innovation?’ According to Chief Development Officer Michael Ostrowski, the City Council will receive an analysis of the feedback later this summer.
— News Original —
College Station stakeholders talk economic development over breakfast
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – The City of College Station held a ‘Business Over Breakfast’ economic development discussion at Visit College Station on Tuesday.
Attendees included elected leaders, city staff, business owners, and other stakeholders. The meeting marked the first step to update the city’s Economic Development Master Plan.
Chief Development Officer Michael Ostrowski explained the importance of a refresh, saying, “Last time the city did an economic development master plan was in 2020. We adopted it during COVID, and a lot has changed since then.”
A team of consultants contracted by the city led the discussion, guiding attendees through several prompts, including what economic development means to them, areas where amenities are lacking, opportunities over the next five years, and what success looks like for the City of College Station in five years.
It’s information the city relies on to help inform policy decisions.
Mayor John Nichols prompted, “How do we position ourselves in terms of budgeting and the regulatory environment, and the support mechanisms that cities provide to better attract those targeted kinds of businesses that really will help to diversify our economy?”
The community responded enthusiastically to the prompts, leaving detailed answers covering a variety of perspectives.
In areas of improvement, residents responded with a need for more live music options, entertainment activities for kids, and greater healthcare access for specialty care and pediatrics.
However, former College Station City Council candidate Valen Cepak said there was a common theme uniting many.
“They showed the collective group here, who’s very diverse of what they saw, and two ones that popped up was growth and community,” he remarked.
Topics like affordable housing access, diversifying the local business community, and investing in more entertainment options surfaced throughout the conversations. Conversations with the community like this, Mayor Nichols explained, ensures the information that will eventually be a part of the Economic Development Master Plan most closely mirrors current economic conditions.
He said, “The real gain is the planning process, keeping it alive, keeping alert to changes in technology, changes in public preference, changes in the market forces, changes in investment capital.”
Over the coming days, College Station staff and leaders will be meeting with other stakeholder groups to continue discussions around business and job growth.
When the conversation shifted toward the next five years, residents spoke about wanting to see growth in housing access and a greater investment into the arts.
Concerns surrounding water access, traffic mitigation, and infrastructure were also brought up as possible roadblocks to successful economic growth.
Cepak stressed the importance of keeping economic development information current, “If we’re not updating those plans, following the basis of growth, of technology, or different innovations in different areas, then we’re going to fall behind the curve, right?“
He encouraged City of College Station leaders to take steps to ensure all stakeholders feel their voices are properly represented.
At the core of the early conversations, Mayor Nichols offered a guiding question to city staff, “If you work behind the scenes, what’s the city’s role? What can the city do and how can it inform, enhance, and collaborate with the private sector to make unique and different things happen?”
According to Ostrowski, the College Station City Council will receive an analysis of the information gathered at this and other stakeholder meetings later this summer.