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<br /> <br />Elk River EDA Strategic Plan | 17 <br />o Continue an array of marketing and networking activities, including <br />advertisements in trade publications, relationship building with site <br />selectors, attendance at trade shows, and event sponsorships. <br />o Sharpen the message about Elk River strengths, and make that prominent <br />and repetitive in marketing and communications materials. In particular, <br />highlight the following characteristics throughout the City’s economic <br />development websites and in all of the EDA’s promotional materials—its <br />transportation connectedness, the quality and reliability of local energy and <br />utility infrastructure, its thriving manufacturing sector, and its abundant <br />quality of life features. <br />o Update the City’s target industries to three that particularly benefit from Elk <br />River’s locational strengths— precision or high skill manufacturing, <br />renewable energy, and companies with statewide or regional distribution. <br />o Create a site map of the Northstar Business Park to include in City <br />marketing materials in order to illustrate the broader context of the City- <br />owned properties in that high quality business park. <br />2. Land availability. Take proactive steps to ensure and communicate <br />the availability of land that is suitable and prepared for new industrial <br />development. <br />o Pursue proactive and collaborative conversations with key property owners <br />such as Cargill and Tiller Corporation, to identify land that can be dedicated <br />to and guided for a future business park to the mutual benefit of the City and <br />the property owner. <br />o As future business park land is identified and becomes available, take <br />proactive public sector actions—such as updating land use <br />guidance/zoning, creating business park master plans, ensuring utility <br />provision, and undertaking related land preparedness activities—which <br />situate it for ready development. <br />o Develop site maps for future business parks to include in materials for site <br />selectors, interested businesses and developers. <br />3. Incentives for new business development. Utilize the City’s <br />toolkit of incentives as warranted and at appropriately levels to invite <br />new businesses in Elk River, with an emphasis on the City’s target <br />business sectors and businesses that provide living wage jobs.