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4.A

NORTHERN WATERFRONT ECONOMIC DEVEL INITIATIVE AD HOC CTE

Meeting Date:	10/02/2018
Subject: Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative Recent and Upcoming Activity
Submitted For:	John Kopchik, Director, Conservation & Development Department
Department:	Conservation & Development
Referral No.:
Referral Name:
Presenter:	Amalia Cunningham	Contact:	Amalia Cunningham

Information

Referral History:

Since the Ad Hoc Committee meeting in May, staff has been working on various projects that are consistent with the goals of the Northern Waterfront initiative, beyond the consultant work and reports that are discussed in Agenda Items #4.B and #4.C. This staff work has seen progress on many fronts.

Referral Update:

Through the efforts of the transportation planning group, the County was awarded an Economic Development Administration grant for a short-line rail feasibility study. Using the Northern Waterfront Atlas, DCD staff identified the areas relatively close to both Class I rail lines, and honed in on the Wilbur Avenue industrial corridor as the study area. The project scope of work of work is being finalized, and will go out as a Request for Proposals this fall.

DCD staff began work on a magazine-style marketing handout, with significant contributions from the consultant team. Staff worked with other agencies to advocate for NWEDI issues, such as ABAG-MTC’s Priority Production Area program in development, and supporting CCTA’s inclusion of a Countywide goods movement plan in its work plan for 2019. The Economic Development Manager reinvigorated outreach and interest in the NWEDI through giving presentations to many community and civic groups, including Antioch Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee, Center for Human Development Community Leaders, EC2, the Eco-Services and Shell Community Advisory Panels, and Envision East County Summit. DCD continues to seek out funding resources, such as researching options for assuming water-related leases in unincorporated areas and continued monitoring of the Opportunity Zone federal tax credit program.

In addition to following up on these items, carrying out the stakeholder outreach process described in Agenda Item #4.B, and continuing management of the NWEDI consultant work, other NWEDI-related staff work plan items slated for coming months include:

Supporting transportation staff in the short-line rail feasibility work;
Participating in CCTA’s upcoming goods movement plan process;
Collaborating even more closely with the City of Concord on its Concord Naval Weapons Station reuse project, especially the education campus and possible Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO) joint land use study;
Identifying the key opportunity sites in the unincorporated areas and developing marketing materials in conjunction with partner cities and organizations, and pursuing trademarks on key marketing taglines;
Ongoing business outreach, focusing on largest employers in the target industries.

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

RECEIVE report regarding recent activities related to the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative.