2009 Anchorage CEDS Report
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Anchorage Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Adopted by the Anchorage Municipal Assembly on May 26, 2009 Matt Claman, Acting Mayor Municipality of Anchorage Mary Jane Michael, Executive Director Office of Economic & Community Development (OECD) Bill Popp, President and CEO Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) Prepared By Susan R. Fison, Fison & Associates Darrel W. Hess, OECD Project Manager Erin E. Ealum, AEDC Business & Economic Development Director Funding Provided By Alaska Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development Alaska Regional Development Organizations Program and Municipality of Anchorage 2 Table of Contents Introduction & CEDS Development Process Background ........................................................................................7 CEDS Development Process .............................................................8 Anchorage Overview Anchorage History ............................................................................13 Geography & Climate .......................................................................16 Demographics...................................................................................19 Labor Force, Employment & Unemployment....................................24 Income & Wage Rates......................................................................26 Education..........................................................................................27 Quality of Life....................................................................................32 Cost of Living....................................................................................34 Infrastructure Overview...........................................................................................36 Air Transportation .............................................................................36 Port of Anchorage!.............................................................................38 Alaska Railroad!................................................................................40 Roads & Highways!...........................................................................42 Public Transportation!........................................................................43 Telecommunications!.........................................................................46 Natural Gas & Electricity!...................................................................49 Solid Waste!.......................................................................................50 Commercial Space!...........................................................................51 Major Economic Sectors Oil and Gas Industry!.........................................................................57 Air Cargo & Global Logistics!.............................................................59 Visitor Industry!..................................................................................61 Health Care!......................................................................................63 Construction!.....................................................................................65 Housing Market!.................................................................................66 Retail Trade!......................................................................................70 Military!..............................................................................................70 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats Background!......................................................................................74 Economic Outlook!............................................................................74 Infrastructure!....................................................................................78 4 Education and Workforce Development!...........................................81 Visitor Development!..........................................................................83 Quality of Life!....................................................................................85 Industry Targeting Background Analysis!........................................................................88 Recommended Target Industries!......................................................89 Detailed Industry Targets!..................................................................90 Five-Year Goals, Objectives & Strategies Economic Development!....................................................................93 Infrastructure!....................................................................................94 Education & Workforce Development!...............................................96 Visitor Industry!..................................................................................98 Quality of Life!..................................................................................100 Bibliography Appendix - Proposed Projects Appendix - Resolutions from the Federation of Community Councils and Municipality of Anchorage Assembly 5 Introduction & CEDS Development Process Background A robust, diversified economy in Anchorage is essential to the well-being and quality of life of our communityʼs residents. Without a healthy, growing economic base, employment opportunities will diminish. Anchorageʼs economic vitality is also essential to the State of Alaska, because Anchorage accounts for more than 40% of the stateʼs population and employment. The current national and global recession increase the importance of strategic economic development planning. The Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 requires an approved Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) so that a city can apply for investment assistance under the The Chugach Mountains frame the downtown Anchorage skyline. U.S. Department of Commerceʼs Economic Development Administrationʼs (EDA) Public Works or Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs. The spirit of a CEDS is one of continuous community involvement and cooperation from the private and public sectors in order to understand and confront economic challenges via a feasible, prioritized series of plans and projects that serves as a benchmark for economic and community development. The CEDS also identifies performance measures that will be used to evaluate progress in meeting goals. A CEDS is designed to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic roadmap to diversify and strengthen the economy for the next five years. The planning process should identify a communityʼs unique advantages and analyze weaknesses of the local market. Most important, it should identify opportunities that could diversify and strengthen the local economy. Integrated economic development planning provides the flexibility to adapt to changing national and global economic conditions. A CEDS should establish goals, objectives, and strategies that provide the foundation to implement an action plan that can be used to set investment priorities for funding sources and attract private investment that creates jobs. CEDS Development Process The development of this Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy was a cooperative effort between Mary Jane Michael, Executive Director of the Municipalityʼs Office of Economic and The Anchorage plan won a major national Community Development (OECD) and Bill Popp, President and CEO of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC). OECD contracted with Susan Fison, former Municipal Planning Director, to lead the project team, which included Darrel Hess, OECD Project Manager and Erin Ealum, AEDC Business and Economic Development Director. Funding for the project was provided by the Municipality of Anchorage and the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, Alaska Regional Development Organizations Program. The fundamental purpose of this strategy is to provide direction for public and private actions to stimulate economic development in the Municipality of Anchorage and the region. At a basic level, the goals of the strategy are to create jobs, income and wealth. The strategy also aims to generate municipal revenue to fund facilities and services that will maintain and enhance our quality of life. The Anchorage CEDS draws heavily on the Municipalityʼs Anchorage 2020 Plan and its Housing and Community Development 8 Plan. It also incorporates much of the work done as part of the Vision Anchorage project, a major, year-long effort that was spearheaded by the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation. The CEDS also draws upon more than three dozen other strategic and long-range plans developed by various Municipal departments, state agencies and non-profit community organizations. Mayorʼs Economic Advisory Panel The Mayorʼs Economic Advisory Panel served as the 2009 CEDS Committee. This panel is a knowledgeable group of private sector and non-profit professionals with a broad range of expertise related to Anchorage economic and community issues. The panel met with Acting Mayor Matt Claman, Nancy Nolan, Senior Policy Director to the Acting Mayor, key Municipal staff and the project team. Members provided input on the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the Municipality. They also reviewed the draft goals, objectives and strategies. Several members provided more AEDC spearheaded the Vision detailed information about topics in their areas of expertise. Anchorage project The committee met and reviewed the draft CEDS and provided comments, corrections and suggestions for