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14.and 6 a:-- (..t... <br /> E1 REQUEST FOR ACTION <br /> River <br /> TO ITEM NUMBER <br /> Economic Development Authority& Housing and <br /> Redevelopment Authority <br /> AGENDA SECTION MEETING DATE PREPARED BY <br /> August 13, 2012 Clay Wilfahrt,Assistant Director of <br /> Economic Development <br /> ITEM DESCRIPTION REVIEWED By <br /> Other Business Annie Deckert, Director of Economic <br /> Development <br /> REVIEWED BY <br /> ACTION REQUESTED <br /> None. <br /> BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION <br /> Below are notable updates from the past month: <br /> • Economic Development and Environmental staff will host a business educational event on <br /> August 22 at 12:00pm at the Elk River Library. Elk River Municipal Utilities will present <br /> information regarding water conservation. The event is free, and local businesses are <br /> welcome to attend. <br /> • The first City of Elk River Realtors'Forum on Wednesday August 8 had 19 Realtors in <br /> attendance. Mayor Dietz welcomed the group, and staff presented information encouraging <br /> realtors to use city resources. The event built relationships between staff and realtors and <br /> encouraged open and active communication between them. Feedback about the event from <br /> the realtors was positive; each indicated they would be interested in a similar annual event. <br /> Economic Development staff met with the President of ReMax Results Realty to discuss the <br /> Micro Loan program because of the Forum. <br /> • The Powered by Nature brand was featured at the August 9 and 10 International Economic <br /> Development Council Marketing and Attraction Training Class. Elk River's progress implementing <br /> the brand impressed IEDC instructor Linda DiMario who decided to use Elk River as an example of a <br /> community that has taken control of their"ground game" to build momentum for their community <br /> identity. A press release is attached and will be distributed. <br /> • Staff attended a broker's event held by Granite Shores to discuss their commercial space. Area and <br /> metro brokers were invited to provide input and suggestions to fill the vacant space. Three brokers <br /> attended the lunch,and it was the consensus of the group that filling the space with retail and/or <br /> commercial would be extremely challenging. Their work with retail/commercial tenants indicates a <br /> desire to be along Hwy 169, not Hwy 10. They indicated that limited parking was a major deterrent <br /> and encouraged soliciting executive-type office uses. The brokers also indicated Granite Shore lease <br /> space was considerably higher than all other available space in the area, and highly encouraged Granite <br /> Shores to accept and work with any and all offers they received from potential tenants. Staff provided <br /> community information, downtown parking maps and incentive information to the brokers. <br /> IPOIVEREI / 1 <br /> INAJUREI <br />