Economic Development and Developers in the News # 245
Econ dev news from 23 economic development executives and organizations in 25 states.
Note: Light issue this week. I'm in NYC for light work and a little vacation.
Welcome to the 245th weekly edition of Economic Development and Developers in the News!
This week: updates from 23 executives and organizations across 25 states.
New here? Hello!
The Econ Dev Show is a podcast and email newsletter with practical strategies, news, and ideas for economic developers from Dane Carlson.
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You may have heard of Sitehunt and thought, “We already have something like that.”
You probably don’t.
You may already have a property map. A GIS platform. A listing system. A spreadsheet. A broker database. A public portal.
Good. Keep it.
Sitehunt is not asking you to throw that away.
Sitehunt is the operational layer that sits between your property data and your project response.
Because when the RFI lands, the question is not, “Do we have a map?”
The question is, “Which sites fit this project, what is missing, and how fast can we send a credible answer?”
That is where most teams still do the work manually.
They search the map. Check the spreadsheet. Email the utility. Call the broker. Open old PDFs. Ask GIS. Rebuild the site sheet. Copy and paste into the response. Then hope nothing important was missed.
Sitehunt turns that scramble into a repeatable workflow.
It works with the tools you already have, enriches your site data, flags readiness gaps, scores sites against project requirements, and helps generate shortlists, site sheets, maps, and RFI response packages.
So no, Sitehunt is not a duplicate expense.
It is how you get more value out of the property systems you already pay for.
A map shows where your sites are.
Sitehunt helps you know which ones are ready.
Alabama
Cordova broke ground on a $5.5 million wastewater project to expand capacity for future industrial growth.
Arizona
Tech Launch Arizona generated $459.7 million in statewide economic output and supported 3,070 jobs in fiscal year 2025.
Maricopa County adopted Framework 2040, a long-range plan for growth, infrastructure, and economic opportunity.
Arkansas
Arkansas leaders discussed rural development strategies, including workforce, infrastructure, and tax policies to support business growth.
Colorado
Denver approved concept plans for the Belcaro Shopping Center redevelopment, adding housing and retail space.
Florida
Greater Fort Lauderdale reported more than $272 million in facilitated capital investment this fiscal year.
Alachua County won a state partnership award from the Florida Economic Development Council for a $36 million workforce project.
Bay Economic Development Alliance, led by Becca Hardin, is targeting aviation, marine, and distribution firms.
Georgia
Dunwoody is renewing efforts to buy a former post office for a village redevelopment project led by Michael Starling.
Iowa
Atlas Roofing’s $224 million Clinton plant is expected to create about 150 jobs, with support from Grow Clinton.
Kansas
Thrive Economic Development and Vicki Pratt are advancing housing and mobility work.
Emporia Main Street and Casey Woods expect major visitor spending.
Louisiana
Louisiana Economic Development invested $5.9 million to prepare the Port of Vinton for industrial projects.
Shell’s Mars platform reached one billion barrels, marking a major Gulf production milestone.
Massachusetts
UMass Lowell received $4.1 million to build a climate-resilient housing innovation testbed.
Minnesota
Ely secured more than $6 million to replace its aging water intake and main.
New Jersey
Parsippany helped School of Rock secure two New Jersey Economic Development Authority grants for facility improvements and business growth.
New York
Ontario County received a $300,000 grant to convert vacant rentals into affordable housing.
Barilla is investing nearly $170 million, with support from Empire State Development and Hope Knight.
North Carolina
North Carolina launched its First in Opportunity plan, led by Lee Lilley, for workforce, infrastructure, and competitiveness.
Ohio
Austintown and the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber are advancing housing and commercial projects, including plans for 100 new homes.
Sustainable Opportunity Development Center released a five-year Salem plan focused on manufacturing, downtown, housing, and tourism.
Northeast Ohio is building a neuroscience economy through the Cleveland Innovation District and JobsOhio.
Oregon
Portland advanced its Draft Economic Opportunities Analysis to guide future job and land-use planning.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania proposed nearly $100 million for Innovate in PA 2.0, backed by Rick Siger.
Rhode Island
Woonsocket unveiled a new economic roadmap focused on investment, small businesses, and redevelopment.
Tennessee
EPB and UTC partnered on quantum workforce development to grow Chattanooga’s talent pipeline.
Texas
Bee Area Partnership and Randy Seitz are using workforce, infrastructure, and recruitment work.
Utah
Utah released a statewide economic strategy to help companies expand and strengthen key industries.
Virginia
UVA Wise hosted the 2026 Southwest Virginia Economic Forum for regional leaders focused on workforce and growth.
Southside Virginia approved a data center campus expected to support technology-sector growth.
Washington
Mill Creek highlighted business growth projects in its State of the City address.
Seattle is streamlining small-business rules to speed permitting and retain jobs.
West Virginia
Wood County Economic Development and Lindsey Piersol are moving into a renovated historic hospital.
West Virginia launched a small-business growth program to expand access to private investment capital.
Wisconsin
Oshkosh and Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corp. are moving toward buying the former Park Plaza Mall for mixed-use redevelopment.
