Economic Development - 5-26-23 City Council Strategic Planning Workshop

[0:00:00] good afternoon mayor and Council Michael Dain interim economic development director our theme for priorities is Planes Trains and Automobiles so jumping right into planes project Skyline has been in the works for a while we've signed a contract this year public-private partnership the public side of the dollars three million dollars in a commitment from Cosa DC um that is a fixed commitment as prices vary they are responsible for the amounts that it's going to take above the 3 million they also so they control their fate somewhat to the extent that they can value engineer against the inflationary pressures and uh they also control to a great extent the construction schedule and methods that's on them they they will construct and they will pay and we will reimburse for up to three million dollars very excited about this project it will renovate the GTE hanger a fixture at our airport for a long time put it back into use I was told once the best way to preserve an old building is to upfit it so it can be currently used and uh in an everyday fashion so we're excited about that there will be new construction on the air side the FBO part of the facility will be all new and they will construct that projected timing on that Michael um we signed the contract and we hear that their contractor is working through the permitting process or the planning process in advance of the permitting process I don't know specifically where they're at um I think they want to move within a year and be operating but I would be surprised if it moved that quickly but that's very much in their hands

[0:02:01] it has moved a little slow because the leadership the ownership at Skyline has they have multiple business interests and they've had some mergers and Acquisitions I think during the last year that that had their attention somewhat but uh project Skyline is exciting we are glad to see it moving forward and uh I think it's going to be a great addition to the airport another line things so add new Tom to your point add new parking facilities generally use parking and rental car parking so we know we're moving some of the rental car out expanding the general use and when it says add new I guess that's what the new is is the rental car area yes ma'am I'm sorry I skipped over that they are reconfiguring and updating the parking that is over on that block where the The Hanger is now part of it will be my understanding is General use and part of it will be dedicated to rental car I think the plan is to try to get the rental car activity out of the short term lot and so thereby increase the short-term capacity that's the hope we'll see see how it works out good question unpotable water supply some years ago we created adapted some pipelines to create a non-potable water supply to support fire suppression systems as development has occurred at the airport there's there's more strain on that system and portions of that system are older um at Coast DC We are continuing advocates for development of at the airport and uh at we need to consider whether the capacity and condition of that

[0:04:05] system uh in light of our ambition for continued development so Cosa DC has funded a study we've signed that contract and we're working with Shane and his folks we have a mutual interest in determining that that that that that provides satisfactory flow and is in satisfactory condition and the City so we're working together on that but cosidious C is funding it because cocdc or the primary proponents or advocates for development at the airport once we get that back I think there the deadline in the contract is sometime in August to get us the results um once we get that back we'll be able to develop a plan or a strategy for improvements if necessary we'll we'll see where that takes us where their study takes us we're we're interested how are you seeing back up power for all of the terminal etc etc or when you say Pump Station and backup power specifically what are we looking at well um I think they're thinking about a backup generator to provide electricity so in the event that we have we lose electricity that we can still utilize that system to put out fires in other words that system can still be pressurized to provide adequate pressure for fire suppression systems uh rail Nicks Planes Trains I'll go back to that slide yes ma'am let me make sure I understand building improvements and adequacy to meet future expansions so what what are you talking about here well I think those are General statements building improvements technically the

[0:06:09] skyline project is an improvement to a building plus it's an expansion but we're hoping for more than that for example um ASU is discussing the possibility of building classrooms out there um they are I think it was either yesterday or today meeting with airport Personnel I think it was yesterday they met with airport Personnel to begin uh or to make progress on a contract for leasing a footprint out there not far from the GTE hanger and they would construct a new facility which would include classrooms and either in this phase or in a future phase they are contemplating hangers also and so we would like that facility also to have adequate supply for a fire suppression system but we're hoping for more than that remember that there's a Runway out there that's going to close down and that's going to open up a significant uh property along the taxiway that could be developed both inside and outside the fence and so in the hopes that we would attract some development in that way we would like the systems provide adequate capacity this airport as you know has been a long-term priority for the city council in terms of making it a bigger asset to the community in terms of usage but also in terms of development so this airport is considered one of our top priorities in terms of making it far more important and Jeremy of the economy yeah Jeremy reminds us of that every time we resist in any way but he and that board out there are very appreciative of council's support for the airport

[0:08:15] okay trains San Angelo Rail Port this is the photo here is a photo of our rail Park a train real train with real cars with real loads in our Park that is a functioning rail park at uh at this point they continue to construct based on their needs private private Enterprise and they'll they'll construct based on what their customers needs are Asian commission yesterday of course the Transportation Commission is also over the rail in the state of Texas and so they're definitely talking about Rail and we had an opportunity to talk about the Rail Port here in San Angelo Texas sounds good um one of the uh a couple of notes um Michael Looney reported to us that our rail Park is one of the few locations in the country where you can build a facility and have some control about where the rail is if you want the rail to come through your Warehouse so you can unload out of the weather this is an opportunity he says it's a it's a real attention getter at this point so we're hoping that some develop development follows from that I think we should call it rail Park not Port Port almost makes everyone think it's on water right sounds good one of the issues it's not really an issue it's just further the next step in development would be the extension of water and wastewater utilities out there and we have on this issue also started a discussion with City personnel because we have interest in common associated with that it's not just Shane touched on extending these services but there may be some some some capacity opportunities on the city Side in this

[0:10:20] part of town that that the city may want we may want to take on together and so at this point we're having those conversations and viewing this part of that and some expansion on the of uh or in updating on the city Side as a a project that we might take on together we've also I think submitted some information to try to pursue some federal grants so we're hoping those come through because the numbers got very large on this I think I think Shane said 3.5 million for the water sewer Loop is that what you said I think that was just one remember I think that was just water water yeah you don't have to walk up here just make a big nodder and like this or something that and I think the our recent lift station bids caused Bob's update on that to go up and I think at some point I heard the numbers come on forward backwards I think I heard something about 10 to 15 million that's what I had heard at one point the the lift station would be roughly based on based on the numbers we just got back in for the Lake nazarethy Project be roughly 5 million five and a half million on the on the lift station and so and that's the lift station of course there is some piping that would would have to occur with that now one of the the other issues is as we start talking about water capacity for the rail Park area again we talked about the elevated storage tank up in that kind of that Northeast quadrant of town that's where we start getting into the 11 to 15 million I knew it was going to be big Shane doesn't walk across the room for less than 10 million dollars [Laughter] any other questions or things we should talk about on the San Angelo rail Park sooner or later I'm sure about the

[0:12:23] expansion and the additional property that might be needed and the city owns it so we're protected from that perspective we are in of course I've got my Cosa DC hat on and I'll be looking for a very favorable rate on that land we touched earlier on i-27 next two slides are i-27 and and i-14 I think uh kind of a significant Milestone was reached this year didn't i-27 receive its Federal received the federal designation of a future Interstate we were already considered a high priority uh traffic but we got Interstate designation and then in April we also got the formal designation of the numbers so until you get a number you're not an you're an interstate approved but you're not a numbered interstate and we now have the official i-27 designation for the entire route of New Mexico and Texas outstanding congratulations the mayor has represented the city for some time on that and I'm sure she's proud of that work the the concerning thing I heard earlier was a designation for different segments and our segment didn't have enough political support well that was what what originally had been requested Michael was 1.2 billion dollars for planning and construction of the entire our planning and Engineering of the entire corridor from Laredo to basically um Amarillo and then we submitted separate segments because we're three segments we're segment two so we provided statistics on each of those segments but we had to prioritize those segments and so we made segment three the number one

[0:14:27] priority because a lot even in our segment two either is two lane with passing Lanes or from San Angelo to Big Spring is four lane it's not four lane divided with Frontage roads but it's four lane and then from Big Spring the same thing so things will happen in steps but the most important part is getting it out of Laredo to Sonora and interstates are in you can't put up a sign that says you're a designated future Interstate no signs are permitted unless you already are connected to an interstate and we are not so we cannot put up any signs or any designations for that and then interstates have to connect with interstates and we will be because I-20 I mean I-20 and Big Spring connect to our 87 Loop or i-27 Loop and in Sonora to I-10 or I-20 I-10 and so ultimately we'll be able to do that but the rule is no signage no anything until you're connected to a future Interstate with your Interstate connection DC continues to pay for the memberships for both of those but the mayor has been our representative in those groups Industrial Park phase one there were no property sales in 2022 there's approximately 24.6 Acres still available available in phase one I'll give you a financial summary here in a minute phase two we had a little brush clearing project this year that's complete and we have a nine Acre parcel under contract we anticipate that that will sell this year in summary you know one of the things that came up in conversation about our industrial

[0:16:30] park is that we have an established some specific guidelines as it relates to what the facilities must look like in other words do we want just metal buildings or do we want something more brick or stone oriented something that makes it um a high I don't maybe higher end it brings value to brings better value to it and I think I would ask that somewhere along the line whether it's that it needs to be discussed in cocdc perhaps what we want the industrial park to look like that's an excellent point and I'm going to jump ahead to Future needs because one of the issues we talked about the intersection of the interstates when they come through I can still remember the first time I came through San Angelo and I came in the north part of town it's a west Texas town and then I can still remember crossing the river for the first time I looked upstream and I can still see looking Upstream going Southbound on Brian what a beautiful spot and it made a significant impression they're going to be lots of people we think going traveling on those interstates and that's going to be their first impression of San Angelo so things like I don't know if it's a bigger comprehensive planning issue or if it's just a Industrial Park um who do we want to look like right what what is what impression do we want to make so I don't know if it's a big plan kind of an issue but I think when that comes through we want to put the pressure on Tech Stop for making it look good and we may I I'm not sure what I'm not a planner so what what do we do to make that Corridor attractive to people who are just being introduced to San Angelo and and so whether that is part of a bigger plan or if it becomes a small piece on its own I

[0:18:35] think that's something we need to think about and whether that's uh cocdc funded item I don't know if that's legal but people who know something about real estate should be in the loop on that and participate in just like the comment about what should our Industrial Park look like what should it look like from when you're going over those overpasses going around San Angelo what do we want people to see so yes Tommy please Michael I'm sitting on your to the mayor's point I do remember conversation in kosa DC some years back about early in the life of the of the park Business Park um appearance standards now whether they were ever adopted or okay well you're right there were some discussion about covenants about that I don't know if we ever passed them or not we'll have to we'll have to dig that up you might you might drag that up and see well even what the discussion was to have another jumping off point for a new discussion I think that's good if there was an initial discussion but it was because it hasn't been executed and it was brought to our attention this year that it seems as though and I'm I don't mean this to that we're just so happy someone bought some acreage that we don't worry about what they put up and not that anybody's put up anything that's unattractive so I'm not criticizing what is there but the point is who do we need to have some parameters well the reason I think I even remember the discussion we get we dug down into the weeds so much that we got to talking about Landscaping and were we going to require any kind of landscape not not in a grand scheme but just something that gave some feel feel to it that we trees shrubs uh whatever anyway well I think to your point Tommy that when we talked about the landscape

[0:20:38] ordinance a minute ago when John James was up here we allowed some of our commercial development to happen let's say out there where perhaps um on Sherwood Way where I can't think of the names now but anyway we have very little landscape parameters so you could basically put up a lot of buildings put some parking lot doesn't parking spot designations and no requirement for trees shrubs grass whatever so we have these big parking lots and prominent areas and some big buildings no trees no grass no no anything and that doesn't read well I think we could read better but again I think we have to make sure that we look at and understand who we want to look like how we want to feel without putting too much burden and expense onto a development but adding quality to our city anyway where is it it is that interest those interstates are going to be somewhat the new gateways into San Angelo at least from those directions and we've had some Gateway projects that we think it make an improvement and we just need to be mindful of that and get lots of positive comments on all of those gateways that we did over the past two years and particularly the one into downtown and the one at the airport lots of lots of positive comments and feedback all right well I skipped ahead this slide then didn't talk about anything on it so I better Workforce Development has become a topic in nearly every um project that we we talk about so we we need to be mindful of that We are continuing to hear we started hearing about quality of life initiatives and place making that has not faded we still hear about that kind of thing and so at least for me the I've kind of begun

[0:22:43] developing a mindset with limited Financial Resources we want to preserve our cash by in one of those for those projects where we need cash and one of the methods would be to ask Council to be willing to be open-minded about providing um tax abatements um abating values increased values for a short period of time so that we can make projects attractive I'm not asking for anything today just just for you to be aware that you may see some of that out of us in an effort to preserve cash because we're hearing some of you talk about quality of life projects where we'll need the cash to invest in a local project and a local eligible I refer us back to guess what the 2009 strategic plan that very much lays out a vision for Place making quality of life and if we follow this Vision laid out in 2009 it's amazing how much of all of those issues get addressed in this document we don't need to recreate another document might need some updating I'm not sure because we haven't fully understood what 2009 fantastic plan laid out for us and it is about Place making many of the things I read earlier today was San Angelo making it a place whether you call it Place making or a place this is what this document laid out for us and what we will probably need is the opportunity to go to Cosa DC to help fund some of those quote Place making value improvements well on that note cocdc had its annual meeting earlier this week but they postponed the strategic planning portion of the

[0:24:45] meeting because they wanted to hear your thoughts and your priorities before they began working on theirs so that group is ready to uh link with you in uh pursuit of those objectives not sure honestly and probably something we need to do is provide to the cocdc members this visioning part of the San Angelo strategic plan which lays out a great quality of life Place making strategic plans and things to consider because it should be the guiding document we use in the gutting document that they use in combination with visiting with us to implement Place making decisions it's well laid out all right I think that's all I have for you do you have any questions or comments questions for Michael thank you very much

Captured 2026-07-26 · source: youtube.com/watch?v=EVDjRC0977c