New Altoona group looks at city's future growth
Friday, March 6, 2015
Andrew Dowd, Leader-Telegram staff
ALTOONA - With the River Prairie development well on its way toward boosting the city's economy, a new group is forming to discuss other areas for future business and housing growth.
The city's Economic Development Work Group will hold its first meeting at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 11 at City Hall, 1303 Lynn St., to discuss Altoona's future now that its development on U.S. 53 is bustling.
"Five years from now that's going to be all developed, and then what are we going to do?" Mayor Jack Blackburn said.
The new group will be tasked to give input on Altoona's future business and housing growth. For example, the panel's advice will be sought on what types of residential development should be encouraged between single-family homes, twin homes or apartment buildings, Blackburn said.
"The idea behind this is it's brainstorming," he said.
One of the reasons for forming a work group is that Altoona's comprehensive plan is from 2009, Blackburn noted, and since then there's been a surge in the city's economy and population. And he expects the group's work will help with the city's required update of its comprehensive plan by 2019.
The work group's roster has 12 members, including four city councilmen, Altoona schools Superintendent Connie Biedron, county Supervisor Stella Pagonis and Visit Eau Claire executive director Linda John.
The city chose to create a work group in lieu of resurrecting a dormant Economic Development Committee. Advantages of that include that the work group could draw a wider range of members, including nonresidents, Blackburn said, and it could be temporary instead of a permanent committee.
Eau Claire has an active Economic Policy Advisory Committee, which focuses on the city's efforts to attract and retain businesses.
Eau Claire City Councilman Bob Von Haden said that doing the work in Eau Claire's three-person committee allows for more brainstorming and vetting of ideas as opposed to sending those matters directly to City Council.
"You have a smaller group of people who can sit together and have a more frank discussion," he said.
The Eau Claire committee's accomplishments in recent years have included overseeing and expanding city business loan programs, reviewing development deals and negotiating parking leases. It soon plans to do an analysis of Eau Claire's tax increment financing policies.
Altoona's economic development efforts have been focused for more than a decade on its River Prairie site, which struggled to attract businesses during the Great Recession but rebounded a couple of years ago.
River Prairie now is anchored by OakLeaf Surgical Hospital, and the area's largest grocery store, Woodman's Food Market, is set to open there in fall. Staybridge Suites, an extended-stay hotel, will start construction in spring, and the city has plans for the remaining vacant land for a mix of business lots and public space that will serve as Altoona's "front porch."
One of the other projects leading Altoona's future growth is Hillcrest Greens, a housing development on the city's southern border on land that formerly was a country club.
Dowd can be reached at 715-833-9204, 800-236-7077 or andrew.dowd@ecpc.com.
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