HRSR INFORMATION 11-24-2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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INFORMATION ff , Downtown o ers Grand Forks Herald,Sunday, November 16, 2003 i cc comparati ve advantage --___. GRAND FORKS—The Herald edit- And part of that,argued Hill,is mar- orial, "Ned Hill, provocative as al- keting downtown Grand Forks and East ways,"was insightful(Page 4A,Nov.12). Grand Forks to high-tech businesses There are several lessons we can looking to recruit a young, talented draw from Hill's assessment of Du- work force. Creative talent own their luth's economic strengths and chal- intellectual capital, and they're not in- lenges. There also are ways we're dif- terested in working in a cookie-cutter ferent, as witnessed through Hill's 2002 environment. They want soul, and they comments about our community. find it in downtown Grand Forks and As indicated in the editorial, Hill East Grand Forks. urged Duluth's city leaders to assess The strength of Hill's comments re- their community's "comparative advan- garding downtown led the Knight tages." When in the Grand Cities, Hill Foundation, which supported Hill's pointed some of ours out;UND and our visit to our communities, to pay for a aerospace and energy industries make full-time professional staff dedicated to the list.So does downtown. promoting downtown. In the 19 months In Hill's words: "Downtown is your since then, the Downtown Leadership region's greatest asset. I have to tell Group,which had been a strictly volun- you: I've rarely seen a downtown that teer organization prior to that time,has looks as good as yours.I'd use this asset made important strides in branding to your competitive advantage.Your off downtown as an_exciting place to live, ramps and big-box retailers don't make work and visit through-brochures, you unique from your competition. newsletters, Web sites, and special 10 Your downtown does." events such as the Grand Cities tart Although we sometimes take it for I Fest. granted, our downtown — brimming I This work benefits downtown to be with public art, unique restaurants, I sure. But it also fits into Hill's vision„ boutiques and services—has a soulful I for economic development for Grand atmosphere. Hill argued it boosts the Forks, East Grand Forks and the re- quality of life for residents and is an gion. important"recruit and retain" employ- Timothy-Dittus! ment strategy for business. I Dittus is chairing the 2003-2004 In the Duluth editorial, Hill is Downtown Leadership-group. quoted as saying, "Although communi- ty-development projects are important, such as sprucing up (Duluth's) Canal Park and downtown, community devel- opment doesn't create businesses that trade outside the area" True. The im- portance of primary-sector jobs where locals own the intellectual property rights for their product cannot be un- derstated. But Hill also comments,"Fundamen- tal change to encourage economic de- velopment is not closing deals. The core of change is building an economic environment where business wants to do deals."Part of that is creating a one stop shop for businesses interested in relocating or building in the Grand Cit- ies. •