Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Service Provider Agreement with Harris & Associates to Complete an Economic Development Strategic Plan in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $250,000. (Economic Development 10061810)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Gerry Beaudin, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The last Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP) was completed in 2018. The City of Alameda (City) is now at the stage where it needs to update the existing EDSP to meet the needs of Alameda and the Economic Development program over the next five years. In response to this need, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on July 9, with responses due by August 17. A total of nineteen proposals were received and evaluated by City staff. The top four finalist proposals and work products were reviewed by the Mayor’s Economic Development Advisory Panel (EDAP), and staff conducted interviews before selecting the Harris & Associates team to recommend to the City Council.
BACKGROUND
In 2018, City Council adopted the existing EDSP, which was designed to guide the City’s economic development activities over the following five to ten years. The EDSP served as Alameda’s roadmap for achieving economic growth and improving the quality of life for residents and employees. The overall goal of the EDSP at that time was to focus limited City resources for economic development on the business sectors for which Alameda was an attractive option, there was room for growth, and which met Alameda’s long-term goals.
The 2018 EDSP identified ten priority areas, divided into two major categories to support Alameda’s economic resiliency:
Business sectors identified as opportunities for growth:
Life Sciences
Clean Tech, Green Tech, High Tech
Blue Tech and Maritime
Retail and Restaurants
Tourism/Hospitality
Artists and Small Manufacturers
Critical services to support the retention, expansion, and growth of businesses in Alameda:
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