SPOKANE, WA-The Spokane Terabyte Triangle marketing strategy for recruiting new business into the downtown core is attracting widespread interest. The concept is to turn old buildings and downtown into a high-tech center with enhanced technology. Details at www.terabytetriangle.com

The Riverpoint Higher Education Center has its third building going up-$36 million Health Science Center by WSU and EWU. The Riverpoint Master Plan anticipates 7,000 commuting students and 1.5 million square feet in facilities.

HARRISBURG, PA- ENVISION Capital Region elected Jim Grandon as Chairman and Keith Clark as Vice-Chairman for 2001. Congratulations to David Shankweiler who completed a three-year term as Chair.

ENVISION has set March 27^th as their annual Town Hall meeting date. Progress will be reviewed, Benchmarks updated, and twelve Strategic Alliances will be established for 2001.

MEMPHIS, TN-February 7-9, 2001, MEMPHIS 2005 will begin to establish the first five Strategic Alliances following their five-year revision. Memphis, Shelby County, Memphis Chamber of Commerce, over 500 Strategic Partners and other organizations have produced great results in the first five years of MEMPHIS 2005 including:

Memphis and Shelby County reduced the number of individuals living in poverty by 20,538 between 1995 and 1997.

Memphis moved up to 8^th of the "50 Best Large Metro Areas to Start and Grow Business" in the December 2000 -Inc. Magazine. This is up from 25^th in 1993-1994 which ranked Memphis 3^rd among big cites for improvement.

MEMPHIS 2005 compares the Memphis MSA to seven peer cites. In earnings per job, Memphis moved up from 5^th to 4^th position surpassed only by Dallas, Atlanta, and Charlotte MSAs. The Memphis annual percent change in earnings per job from 1994 to 1998 was 4.14% compared to the peer city average of 3.95% and the US metro average of 3.54%.

Five-year capital investment was $6.8 billion

From January 1, 1995 through September 30, 2000, Memphis/Shelby County ranked 1^st among the four Tennessee large metropolitan counties for training and infrastructure funds dedicated to specific economic development projects.

MOBILE, AL-The Mobile Community Foundation conducted a survey to address philanthropy goals resulting from strategies in ENVISION MOBILE-BALDWIN, the area’s Strategic Plan. Categories included arts and culture-$31.2 million, education-$19.5 million, health and human services-$13.6 million, and economic development-$6.6 million.

ENVISION MOBILE-BALDWIN’s annual Town Hall meeting is March 1. The Mobile Register is again providing a tabloid insert for the annual report.

SCHUYLKILL, PA- Schuylkill County lost a 1,135 job distribution center and dot.com facility to Montgomery County in upstate New York. The competition was intense, as apparently, the New York site was tax-free along with other incentives. Montgomery County is planning a $5 to $10 million bond issue to help with the water, sewer and telecommunications. Schuylkill Townships and the School District agreed to phase in property taxes over ten-year period. This is another example of the intense competition for investment and new jobs.

DALTON, GA-Four recent wins for Dalton-Whitfield County- 1) On November 7, 2000, voters approved a $85 million special purpose local option tax for infrastructure development including water service expansion in the county. 2) Whitfield County is participating in a DOT T21 grant for a Trail System that runs from North Georgia to Savannah. 3) The US Congress appropriated $650,000 for the Georgia project. The project helps assimilate the Hispanic population in the school system by Monterrey University interns spending the school year in Dalton and Dalton teachers going to Mexico in the summer. 4) Duke Energy is building a $500 million wholesale merchant generation plant in Murray County adjacent to Whitfield. Duke is leasing land and buying treated waste water as steam feedwater from Dalton Utilities

MINOT, ND-The Minot Vision Steering Committee identified 13 additional strategies to increase efforts on achieving the four Key Benchmarks of private sector earnings, job growth, AG and manufacturing growth, and Minot Air Force Base expansion/retention. The Vision Foundation teams will form alliances to work on these identified strategies.

TUSCALOOSA, AL-CHALLENGE 21 will begin a community dialogue on race relations in 2001.

HAMPTON ROADS, VA-A delegation of 73 business and community leaders went to San Diego on October 21-25, 2000 for the fourth annual Inter-Regional visit.