TOWN OF PLATTSBURGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN JULY 2013 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS July 2013 Town of Plattsburgh Town Council Bernard C Bassett Tom E Wood Marty D Mannix Paul D Lamoy Gerard A Renadette Planning Advisory Committee Diane Akey Michele Powers Paul Grasso Phil Von Bargen Dr. John Jablonski Steve Wible Marty Mannix © 2013 Laberge Group, Project #2012022 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ IV INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... IV COMMUNITY OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................... IV PLATTSBURGH’S HIGHLIGHTS & OPPORTUNITIES............................................................................................ V DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE HIGHLIGHTS ............................................................................................................. V ECONOMIC PROFILE HIGHLIGHTS ................................................................................................................. VI COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ...................................................................................................................... VII PLATTSBURGH’S VISION & IMPLEMENTATION .............................................................................................. IX DEVELOPMENT OF GOALS & ACTION PRIORITIES ............................................................................................ IX BUSINESS ATTRACTION & RETENTION ............................................................................................................ X INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS & PRIORITIES .......................................................................................................... X TOURISM & BRANDING ............................................................................................................................... X WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ....................................................................................................................... XI ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE DELIVERY MECHANISM ....................................................................... XI PARTNERING OPPORTUNITIES ...................................................................................................................... XI SECTION 1: PROJECT OVERVIEW ........................................................................................... 1 WHAT IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN? ....................................................................1 2010 COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN ........................................................................................................ 1 LOCAL & REGIONAL SETTING ....................................................................................................................1 NORTH COUNTY REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN ..............................................2 SECTION 2. COMMUNITY PROFILE .......................................................................................... 4 COMMUNITY OVERVIEW ..........................................................................................................................4 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE ...........................................................................................................................4 POPULATION ............................................................................................................................................. 4 AGE DISTRIBUTION ..................................................................................................................................... 5 HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION ......................................................................................................................... 6 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT ........................................................................................................................ 7 INCOME .................................................................................................................................................... 7 FUTURE TRENDS ........................................................................................................................................ 9 SECTION 3. ECONOMIC PROFILE .......................................................................................... 10 REGIONAL ECONOMY ............................................................................................................................ 10 ECONOMICS OF TOURISM .......................................................................................................................... 11 CANADIAN ECONOMIC IMPACT ................................................................................................................... 12 MAJOR EMPLOYERS .................................................................................................................................. 13 EMPLOYMENT ......................................................................................................................................... 14 UNEMPLOYMENT RATES ............................................................................................................................ 14 EMPLOYMENT BY OCCUPATION .................................................................................................................. 15 COMMUTING PATTERNS ............................................................................................................................ 15 TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE ........................................................................................................... 16 INDUSTRY CLUSTERS ................................................................................................................................. 17 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONSTRAINTS .................................................................................................... 19 RETAIL SALES AND CONSUMER SPENDING .................................................................................................. 20 Table of Contents i Plattsburgh Economic Development Strategic Action Plan SPENDING HABITS .................................................................................................................................... 20 RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL ....................................................................................................................... 22 REGIONAL & COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES ........................................................................ 27 CLINTON COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT ................................................................................................. 27 FRIENDS OF THE NORTH COUNTRY (FONC) .................................................................................................. 27 THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ............................................................................................................. 27 EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT (ESD) .......................................................................................................... 28 NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY (NYPA) ...................................................................................................... 28 NORTH COUNTRY ALLIANCE (NCA) ............................................................................................................. 28 NORTH COUNTRY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ................................................................................................ 28 ONEWORKSOURCE .................................................................................................................................. 29 NORTH COUNTRY SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER ............................................................................ 30 SECTION 4. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ................................................................................ 31 PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING (PAC) ..................................................................................... 31 STAKEHOLDER ROUNDTABLE WORKSHOP (ECONOMIC SUMMIT) ..................................................................... 31 BUSINESS ATTRACTION AND RETENTION ...................................................................................................... 32 INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND PRIORITIES ..................................................................................................... 33 TOURISM AND BRANDING .......................................................................................................................... 35 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................................... 36 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE DELIVERY MECHANISM ...................................................................... 37 PARTNERING OPPORTUNITIES ..................................................................................................................... 38 SECTION 5. ACTION PRIORITIES & IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................ 40 PURPOSE OF THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN ................................................................................................. 40 EXPECTED OUTCOMES & REVIEW ..............................................................................................................