Town Hosts Better City Economic Development Educational Meetings

Category: Local Events Local Events
Published: 04 March 2020 04 March 2020

Grant County Residents, Elected Officials Invited to Attend

Silver City -- The Town of Silver City and Better City, an economic development consulting firm, is hosting a series of public educational meetings next week, designed to help local elected officials and county residents better understand economic development best practices, learn about Better City's process and local efforts to date, and how these efforts will improve the local economy.

Better City is a nationally recognized economic development consulting firm, best known for developing realistic economic development strategies. Better City began its work in Grant County in the fall of 2018, and to date has formed a steering committee and several task forces, each responsible for a different element of economic development.  

The Community Workforce Alliance, for instance, serves as the initiative's steering committee, and is tasked with developing a workforce development plan in collaboration with the New Mexico Department of Labor's Workforce Connections employment service, and is also organizing a county-wide economic development organization.

The Placemaking Task Force is currently surveying the Big Ditch to secure property easements for trail improvements, and is proposing the development of a zip-line and an interactive, outdoor science and nature attraction. For an idea of the concept, refer to the Wild Center’s Wild Walk, an elevated trail across the Adirondack treetops, at www.wildcenter.org.

The Fort Bayard Task Force recently secured a 99-year lease with the State of New Mexico, and members are actively recruiting businesses, arts and educational organizations, and others to lease buildings on this historic property. 

The Entrepreneurial Task Force is working with Co.Starters, a capacity building organization for entrepreneurs. (Visit www.costarters.com for more information.)  Western New Mexico University, as part of this task force, is submitting a $600,000 grant request to the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to enhance trade area development efforts and pilot a remote work certification program for the southwest region. 

Another major project underway is the development of a museum trail that connects historic sites and local museums from throughout the county. Better City and Grant County staff secured a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rural economic development grant, which pays for technical assistance from McClure Engineering’s Alchemy Communities initiative and Co.Starters, both of which are working closely with the Silver City nonprofit, Southwest New Mexico Arts, Culture and Tourism, (SWNMACT) to make this project a reality.  

Better City was founded by Matthew Godfrey, former mayor of Ogden, Utah, where the company is based. During his tenure as mayor, Godfrey developed Ogden’s outdoor recreation industry, bringing more than $1.2 billion in new investment to the community, creating some 6,000 jobs and developing more than 130 acres of blighted land. According to the company website, "...Godfrey founded Better City with the intent of helping other communities around the country achieve similar results."

To learn more about the Better City process and these economic development projects, plan to attend any or all of the following meetings at the City Hall Annex, 1203 N. Hudson Street, 2nd Floor conference room:

  • Kickoff Meeting and Introduction: Monday, March 9, 6 - 8 pm. 
  • Workforce Development: Tuesday, March 10, 8 - 10 am. 
  • Entrepreneurship: Tuesday, March 10, 10 am - 12 noon.
  • Grant County Workforce Development Plan:  Tuesday, March 10, 1 - 4 pm. NOTE: This meeting convenes at the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business & Conference Center, 3031 Hwy 180 East.
  • Downtown Revitalization: Wednesday, March 11, 1 - 3 pm.  
  • Outdoor Recreation: Wednesday, March 11, 3 - 5 pm.
  • Business Retention and Expansion: Thursday, March 12, 8  - 10 am. 
  • Sustainable Economic Development: Thursday, March 12, 10 am - 12 noon.

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