Challenge Bordered by the Mississippi River to the west and Homochitto National Forest to the southeast, Claiborne County boasts abundant economic, natural, and cultural assets that include Alcorn State University, Port Gibson’s historic downtown, and Entergy’s Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. Despite these assets, Claiborne County was struggling to maintain its […]
Challenge The City of Seward, Alaska, struggled with a core element of economic development: business retention and expansion. Business leaders questioned the commitment of City government to expanding private sector investment in Seward. A declining private tax base meant a heavier tax burden on existing businesses. The relatively small amount
Challenge The City of Clearwater faced two formative demographic trends: an aging population and above-average share of low-income households. Compounding these trends is the City’s over-reliance on residential real estate taxes, with housing accounting for approximately two-thirds of its property tax base. In addition, Clearwater lacks available greenfield development sites
Challenge Alvin, Texas, is strategically located halfway between Houston, the core city of the nation’s fastest-growing large metro area, and Freeport, the nation’s largest petrochemical complex. The city’s location also offers easy access to the region’s four major ports; proximity to Houston Hobby International Airport; and access to Alvin Community
Challenge Located in Anniston, Alabama, the Anniston Army Depot (the Depot) is one of a small number of US Army installations charged with neutralizing or destroying the country’s chemical weapons stockpiles, but this process was set to end in 2011. In addition to the anticipated job losses from the conclusion
Challenge Like many rural areas in the nation, Bee County, Texas, faces critical demographic challenges related to population growth and domestic migration. Population growth in the county over the last decade has remained flat, with a net gain of just 800 residents from 2006 to 2016. In addition, the county
Challenge Stretching along Interstate 77 (I-77) from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Columbia, South Carolina, the South Carolina I-77 Alliance region consistently outpaced the US during the first part of the decade. Led by employment gains in manufacturing, healthcare, and professional services, the region added nearly 30,000 jobs between 2011 and
Challenge Through their location in Southern Oregon, Jackson and Josephine Counties have a number of strategic advantages. The area’s natural beauty and unique cultural amenities make it a draw for tourists and outdoor enthusiasts. The region is home to a wide array of industries, including many niche and artisanal businesses.
Challenge The City of Irving, Texas, operates in a highly competitive environment. Despite its many advantages—ranging from its transportation network to available workforce to prime sites—the city is in a constant battle for projects within the fast-growing Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Irving occupies an enviable position in the region but
Challenge Perhaps more than any other region in the country, Southern Nevada was devastated by the Great Recession. The region went from having some of the lowest rates of unemployment to the highest. Tens of thousands of families lost their homes as jobs dried up, credit tightened, and the regional
