Ec-dev establishes ambitious ‘stretch targets’

City department has its eyes on some big targets for the ‘Ambitious City’

Doubling Hamilton’s supply of shovel ready development lands by 2020. Landing a major film studio. And adding seven million square feet of new industrial and commercial space.

Those are some of the ambitious “stretch targets” the city’s economic development division has set itself as part of its new 2016-2020 action plan.

That plan goes before council’s general issues committee for approval Wednesday.

It’s also the edge that Glen Norton is carrying with him as he takes on the challenge of being Hamilton’s new director of economic development.

“How many people come into a new job and within two weeks have a road map given them for the next five years,” Norton enthuses.

In a nutshell, the action plan spells out the city’s strategy for growing the economy and creating more jobs.

Put together with input from a variety of city departments, the plan was created by the team Neil Everson, Norton’s recently retired predecessor, built.

As the former manager of downtown renewal, Norton was a key member of that team before stepping into his new role last week.

So he knows the action plan chapter and verse.

Norton and Norman Schleehahn, manager of business development, gave councillors an overview several weeks ago.

On Wednesday the duo return to answer questions about scores of specific actions linked to the plan’s overall goals.

Briefly, those goals are: grow the nonresidential tax assessment and increase the number of living wage jobs; retain the “most diversified economy in Canada” brand; be recognized as having the best workforce in Ontario; grow the city’s reputation for entrepreneurship and innovation; be recognized nationally for a thriving commercial and cultural scene; and make infrastructure investments that provide long-term economic benefits.

Norton will also introduce the “stretch targets,” which are geared toward supporting the above goals but also intended to inspire and motivate staff, council, and the business community to exceed expectations.

For example, the aforementioned doubling of shovel ready land means adding 500 new acres by 2020.

The stretch targets also call for generating $2 billion in industrial and commercial construction value to help ease the property tax burden on homeowners who currently carry about 88 per cent of the load. That’s an increase of $600 million over what was generated in the last five years.

In addition, ec-dev aspires to triple the municipal tax assessment generated from Stelco lands. That means Norton’s staff is shooting to generate $15 million from surplus lands.

The team also wants regular bus services extended to the interior of Hamilton’s business parks to help workers get to their jobs and to entice future employers. They want to see an 800- to 1,200-seat new performance space built. And they want to attract enough major events to generate a total economic impact of $50 million.

Other stretchers include reducing office vacancy rate to seven per cent from the current 13 per cent and getting 10 local companies on Profit Magazine’s list of fastest growing businesses. Hamilton currently has three companies on the list — Steeped Tea, Viziya, and Ron Lee Construction.

As the new ec-dev leader, Norton is aware but undaunted by the fact he’s bound to wear it if these targets splutter and fail to achieve lift off.

“This is on me. This is about nobody else’s overall performance record other than mine. And I’m totally fine with that.”

Perhaps that’s because Norton also knows the team he inherited understands the targets stem from their own input and their love of a challenge.

Here’s hoping they’re equal to the sweep and span it.

Given the grim news about this city’s infrastructure deficit and predicted tax hikes, it’s cheering to hear about a can-do attitude and staff who are willing to extend their reach.