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HENRY LUKE-NEWSLETTER #50 LUKEVISION- Celebrating 24 years of building Community Vision or Community Strategic Plans, we now have links to Community Visions or Community Strategic Plans for 50 communities or regions on our web site, including the communities below. Click here
CABARRUS, COUNTY, NC-In September 2005, two years ago, David H. Murdock announced a new 350-acre biotechnology research center in Kannapolis, NC. Progress to date on the $1 billion campus include: Ø The four-story, 311,000 square foot core lab includes a nuclear magnetic resonance machine and a cyclotron-a particle accelerator for scientific research. Duke University and the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) will manage the core lab. The core lab is scheduled to be completed in the spring 2008. Ø Murdock has set aside $150 million to set up a non-profit foundation to support research conducted at the core lab. He also established a $100 million venture capital fund to cultivate new biotechnology companies in Cabarrus County Ø Universities that will have facilities on campus include: 1) UNC Chapel Hill: Nutrition Research Institute 2) UNC Charlotte: Center for Bioinformatics 3) Duke University: Translational Medicine Genetics 4) NC State University: Center for Agricultural Genetics 5) North Carolina Central University: Metabolism Center 6) NC A&T State University: Center for Post Harvest Technologies 7) UNC Greensboro: Bioactive Institute 8) Biotechnology Training Center (BioNetwork Program) Ø In September 2007, Murdock gave Duke University Medical School $35 million to fund heart disease research at the Research Campus. Ø RC Community College will locate its biotechnology degree program on the campus in a 62,333 square foot building ready in early 2009. Ø Cabarrus County and Kannapolis City have agreed to participate in $169 million in self-financing bonds to provide infrastructure to support the campus For more information and construction progress pictures, click here For more information including an economic impact study click here
POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA- In June 2007, the National Civic League named Polk County as an All-American County. In the county's press release, Cindy Price, Vice-Chair of Polk Vision said, "Polk County, once a very homogenous, 'Old Florida' community, has like many other Florida locations, struggled with the challenges of growth and a rapidly diversifying population with diverse needs. We've worked hard to create a new sense of community identity that is truly deserving of the coveted title 'All American County'. This award is the tangible proof that a once fragmented community has embraced the ideal of creating a great place to live-turning our collective dreams into reality, together, to become the County of Choice! To be recognized by the National Civic League is an honor and a tribute to the passion and spirit…That IS Polk County!" On October 24, 2007 County Commissioners-Bob English and Jean Reed, County Manager-Mike Herr and Polk Vision Executive Director-Colleen Burton, will be in Washington DC to receive Congressional recognition of the award. The Polk County Health Plan provides access to healthcare for Polk County residents who earn less than 200% of the poverty level, have limited assets, are not eligible for other public healthcare funds, have no insurance and have a social security number. In September 2006, the plan had 14,365 participants and increased 51% to 21,678 at year end September 30, 2007. The plan is financed by a county-wide ½ ¢ sales tax, approved by county residents in 2004. For information on the plan click here On March 5, 2007, Polk Vision had their Annual Meeting. For the 2006 Polk Vision Annual Report click here For the Polk County government annual report click here and for the 2007-2008 Polk County Budget message click here
MOBILE, AL- On Thursday, October 25th, 2007, Envision Coastal Alabama will celebrate the people and projects of Envision after ten years of successful planning and action in charting the future of Coastal Alabama in areas of economy, education, environment and equity. In May, Thyssenkrupp announced it would build a proposed $3.7 billion, 2,700 worker steel mill in north Mobile. Alabama used an incentive package totaling more than $811 million to lure the German Steel Company. One of the keys to the selection was an innovative approach to get crude steel slabs shipped in from Brazil 45 miles upriver to the facility site. On October 9, 2007, Mobile County residents voted to support a plan to pay off $70 million in bonds that will be sold to pay the county's incentive to Thyssenkrupp. Also in May 2007, the completion of the new $220 million RSA Battle House Tower along the downtown Mobile waterfront was celebrated. The 35-story project includes a renovation of the 1909 Battle House, now a Renaissance Hotel. Click here for Envision Coastal Alabama.
WICHITA, KS-In April 2007, Visioneering Wichita had their 2nd Annual Implementation Meeting. The annual report can be reviewed, click here. The report includes the Key Benchmarks review and the activities of ten Strategic Alliances, including the Unified Legislative Agenda. The alliance advanced a 2006 unified legislative agenda for action by south-central Kansas legislators based on the Visioneering Wichita key benchmark for job growth and education. Agenda issues includes 1) State support for 25% expansion in nursing program capacity; 2) State financial support to maintain and expand low cost commercial air service from Mid-Continent Airport; 3) Continued state investments for aviation research at Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation research; and 4) Support for a new system and facility for technical education and training. In 2006, agenda priorities resulted in over $27 million in new state funding dollars for south central Kansas. On August 7, 2007, Sedgwick County, the central county of the Wichita MSA, voted on two gambling proposals to allow a casino and 800 slot machines in Wichita Greyhound Park. The Wichita Eagle had long argued that Sedgwick County residents should have the opportunity to vote on gambling. However, on July 22, 2007, the Wichita Eagle ran an editorial recommending a "no" vote on both proposals. They came to this decision because they believed that Wichita had too much momentum and did not need gambling. They said, Vital community decisions should align with the long-term goals of Visioneering Wichita….gambling is, at best, a distraction from the Visisoneering Wichita goals". Both proposals were defeated at the polls on August 7, 2007. In an article in the August 9, 2007 Wichita Eagle, Visioneering Wichita co-chairman , Harvey Sorenson said, "We are living in a dynamic and prosperous time in Sedgwick County. In 2006, our region enjoyed a 7.7 percent jump in personal income-well above the national average- to 99.85 percent of the nation average per capita income, of the 363 metropolitan areas measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, our region's per capita income growth in 2006, was the 16th best. Excluding Katrina-affected communities and oil-dependent communities, our region was third in the entire United States. We are fortunate to live in this community at time, our foundation is strong; we have a good public and private leadership and a bright future. Together, we are going places. You can be on it". On September 11-14, 2007, Visioneering Wichita led a group of more than fifty business and civic leaders on a city visit to Jacksonville, Florida.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA- Blueprint For Prosperity had its first annual implementation meeting in February 2007. The 90-minute meeting was televised live by the public television station WJCT, and then rerun numerous times over the next month. Many people involved in Blueprint spoke, including Jacksonville Mayor, John Peyton. The 50-page annual report has a review of the Key Benchmarks and comprehensive reports on the work of the six foundations: Education, Economic Development, Infrastructure, Quality of Life, Racial Opportunity and Harmony, and Leadership. Click here to review the progress report and original Blueprint document. A Blueprint Partner-The Center for Global Health and Medical Diplomacy had a "Caring Community Conference" on September 26-28, 2007 with over 100 regional leaders present. Twelve recommendations resulted in the areas of health access, medical research and education, and bioscience economic development. An economic analysis presented at the conference revealed that bioscience including healthcare and related industries has a Jacksonville MSA direct, indirect and induced impact of over $40 billion per year.
FUND RAISING FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS- Boosterthron is a company that combines fitness, education and character building while raising record amounts for both public and private elementary schools. Call the president, Chris Carneal @ 678-920-2650 or e-mail Chris at Chris@funrun.com
PAULDING COUNTY, GA- On March 5, 2007, Planning For Paulding had its 3rd annual implementation meeting. Paulding is a suburban county in the Atlanta metro area with a population of 100,000 in 2004. In 2000, 75% of the workforce commuted to jobs outside Paulding County. The business percentage of ad valorem taxes was only 15.7% in 2002 and decreasing. This placed an enormous burden on the residential tax base to fund government and education. The Vision document was completed in March 2004. Selected Achievements on strategies in three years of implementation (2004-2007) include: Ø A new general aviation airport is under construction Ø Two private sector industrial parks are under construction and the Industrial Development Board is planning a large new industrial park near the new airport Ø The Georgia Legislature appropriated funds for a 60,000 square foot addition to the technology college Ø The voters approved a bond issue to purchase more than 7,000 acres for permanent green space Ø September 21, 2004- Paulding approved for K-12 school construction, a sales tax to collect $90 million and on March 20, 2007, a bond referendum for more than $100 million. In the February 2006 newsletter, County Commissioner Jerry Shearin said, "Planning For Paulding had a dream to make our county a better place to live and work in the future, county government shares these ideals and is working to implement many, if not all, of the goals and strategies for our future" For more information, click here and review the November 2006 and February 2007 newsletters.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, TN-In June 2007, Luke Planning began facilitating a Strategic Plan, Building a Better Future for this county of 50,000 in population. Jefferson County is only 30 minutes away from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and is a part of the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley. The draft Strategic Plan is available for public input from October 10 to November 26, 2007. The plan will be complete in December 2007. To review the steps to date and the draft plan click here
ANGELINA COUNTY, TX-Angelina County Vision 2020 published their first year implementation report in April 2007. Angelia County, with a population of 81,000, is 100 miles north of Houston. Accomplishments include: Ø The Industrial Development Board purchased land for a new industrial park. Ø The City of Lufkin committed to provide additional infrastructure to increase the Ø size of the urbanized area. Ø A major focus is to increase the population of the Lufkin urbanized area to 50,000 to try to qualify as a Metropolitan Statistical Area in the 2010 census. Ø The Lufkin Micropolitan Area (Angelia County) ranked tied for 60 (out of 674 Micropolitan Counties in the US) in Site Selection Magazine in March 2007, with three new or expanded facilities. Lufkin was not ranked in 2005. A Micropolitan County has an urban area of less than 50,000 in population. Ø Received designation as a Texas certified retirement community. Ø Coordinating marketing for jobs, tourists and employees. Ø To ensure access to a long-term regional water supply, the City of Lufkin is working with the US Corps of Engineers and the US Forest Service on a future water plant at Lake Sam Rayburn. For the Vision web site and annual report click here.
ROANOKE/BALCKSBURG, VA- The New Century Region continues to grow. The Virginia Tech president announced that Virginia Tech is launching a new medical school in conjunction with Carilion Health Care System in Roanoke. The new medical school will be unique, allowing students to learn to diagnose and treat illnesses and disease, and pursue groundbreaking research. This format is used in only two other medical schools and requires an extra year longer than the normal four years. In 2006, Virginia Tech spent $321.7 million on research and in 2005 spent $289.9 million, ranking 56th among 630 research universities. President Steger predicts that by 2012, they could spend $500 million research contracts. Click here for more information.
DANVILLE, VA-Danville/Pittsylvania County won the competition for a $281 million manufacturing plant for a subsidiary of IKEA the Swedish furniture giant. The plant is expected to produce 740 new jobs. The deal qualified for nearly $8 million in state grants and incentives. Easy access to the Hampton Roads Port, everything being handled with the utmost discretion and professionalism, and a tract of land with utilities in place helped close the deal. This was the largest deal in 2006 in Virginia by amount of investment. Click here for the 1995 Vision.
HAMPTON ROADS, VA (the Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News MSA)-On December 13, 2006 at the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting, the Hampton Roads Partnership unveiled the branding initiative "Hampton Roads, America's First Region" America's First Region is composed of 1.6 million citizens in 17 cities, counties and one town. For more information click here
DALTON, GA-Dalton has adopted the brand "Greater Dalton, Call it Home". The brand is being marketed by the Quality of Life area of Target Tomorrow the 1996 Vision for Dalton/Whitfield County. Click here for the home page and information about learning, living, playing and working here.
WILKES COUNTY, NC- Wilkes Vision 2020 continues to be active with special emphasis on the Graduation Rate and Government Strategic Alliances. At the April 19, 2007 Government Alliance Meeting, there were fifty business and government officials present to discuss tourism and its economic impact. Wilkes Vision 2020 was completed in May 1999.
RUTHERFORD COUNTY, NC-April 3, 2007— Realize Rutherford is hosting a new round of visioning meetings to discuss the general public’s ideas for shaping the future of Rutherford County. With an influx of new residents and many changes throughout the county since Realize Rutherford’s first visioning meetings in 2002, the non-profit’s board members want to hear from the citizens of Rutherford County. The meetings will be held in a forum style, allowing residents to share their ideas for improving the quality of life in Rutherford County. “Rutherford County has undergone some dramatic changes in the last five years,” says Realize Rutherford Chairperson Karen Moore. “We’ve seen a surge of new residents who’ve moved here from other areas and we’d like to encourage them, along with all the long-time residents to join us for these visioning meetings. We need a diverse mix of new ideas to be proactive in our approach to making Rutherford County a more vibrant and economically sound community.”
CURACAO, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES-Curacao is an island 35 miles north of Venezuela and 35 miles east of the island of Aruba. Curacao voted to become separate from the Netherlands Antilles, similar to Aruba. The completion of the transfer has been postponed until December 15, 2008.
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PA- Schuylkill County's Vision is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Major accomplishments include additional higher education opportunities and the completion of a comprehensive plan for the county. Click here for Schuylkill County's Vision and accomplishments.
ORLANDO, FL- Orlando has an emerging “Medical City” in the Lake Nona Health Campus near the Orlando Airport. In August 2006, Burnham Institute announced the opening of a 175,000 sq ft. facility and employment of as many as 300 scientists and support staff within a decade. Burnham Institute is based in San Diego and is a major player in medical research. Orlando expects Burnham to spin-off bio-medical companies. Florida and local government and business leaders committed over $310 million in incentive or $1 million per job. Burnham follows Scripps Research Institute in Palm Beach County with $650 million in incentive and was followed by Torry Pines Institute in St. Lucie County with $100 million in incentives. The University of Central Florida is creating a new medical school at the Lake Nona Health Campus. The new school will accept its first students in the fall of 2009. Florida taxpayers will spend at least $200 million on the school over the next 10 years. The UCF Medical School will join Florida International University Medical School in Miami which is also expected to open in 2009. These two new medical schools join the University of Florida School of Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, University of South Florida School of Medicine and Florida State University Medical School. This will be six medical schools in Florida. A new $400 million plus Veterans Administration Medical Facility will also be built on the Lake Nona Health Campus. It is expected to include more than 1 million square feet and employ up to 2,000 people. Jacksonville-based Nemours also plans to build a $300 million children’s hospital in the Lake Nona development. The opening is scheduled in five year. Nemours will collaborate with UCF and Burnham on research and staff training. The University of Florida has announced plans to open joint research facilities with the Burnham Institute. The collaboration of UF, UCF, Burnham, Nemours and the VA will help all the players compete for large research grants. UF received $519 million in research funding in 2006 and UCF received over $100 million. Orlando spends over $100 million annually to pay for tourism facilities and advertising. As a result, many low-paying service jobs are created. In preliminary data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Orlando MSA 2006 personal per capita income was $32,979 or 90.8% of the US per capita income. The huge effort to create a bio-medical industry should help improve per capita income. In a further major step in July 2007, Orange County and Orlando City committed to use some of the hotel room tax to fund three new state-of-the-art sports, entertainment and cultural venues downtown. Included at a cost of $1.1 billion is an arena for the Orlando Magic, Citrus Bowl renovations and a performing arts center. PROCESS MANAGERS MEETING- On April 11-14, 2007 in Wichita, KS, the Vision Process Managers had their 5th annual meeting. The meeting was hosted by Visioneering Wichita. Henry LukeLuke Planning, Inc.8651 Nathans Cove CourtJacksonville, FL 32256(904) 725-4668 cell (904) 318-5266
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