Stuff Happens
Stuff happens. That’s the assumption most people make when they hear about 600 jobs being retained at CASCI or a new walking tour guide to Charleston’s East End.
The reality is that stuff -- especially good stuff -- doesn’t “just happen.” It usually is the product of years of concerted efforts by government and business leaders, community volunteers and groups like the Charleston Area Alliance who are working to create a more vibrant community and prosperous economy.
Take, for example, the Capitol Market. Now heralded as one of the area’s most successful and popular community development projects in recent history, the Capitol Market faced skepticism and significant fundraising hurdles as it moved from the “that’s a great idea” stage to a real live community marketplace. Determined efforts by volunteers from the Charleston Renaissance, one of the Alliance’s predecessor organizations, sustained the effort during the seven long and challenging years it took to complete the project.
Keeping the “good stuff” happening is the mission of the Charleston Area Alliance. Through a wide array of economic and community development initiatives, we strive to make the area a better place to live, work and play.
As with the Capitol Market, many of these initiatives unfold over several years. Currently, for example, we are working with three sizable companies that are considering the Charleston area as the site for a new operation or expansion. With these potential businesses would come good-paying jobs, capital investment in area land and buildings, and an expanded tax base for our schools and other important government services.
Our job is to help companies both large and small find appropriate land or facilities, develop utility infrastructure to support their operations and work with the state and local governments on incentives for setting up shop here. But it doesn’t happen easily and it doesn’t happen overnight. By the time you hear about a new business opening up, several years may have passed since it first started working with the Alliance.
In addition, confidentiality is critical to most businesses seeking to expand or consolidate its operations in a new location. If they are considering West Virginia, they may not want their competitors to know, and we don’t want our competing states to know either. That’s why you don’t hear about deals in the works until the ink is dry.
The same is often true with our community development efforts. Gateway Greenspace and Rails to Trails are just two examples of exciting projects we’re working on to improve our quality of space and place. But they also take considerable time, money and persistence to become a reality.
When we have good news to share, we’ll be the first to shout it from the rooftops. When we’re not tooting our own horn, however, it means we’re hard at work behind the scenes getting the good stuff ready to happen. That quiet you may hear is actually the lull before the storm of celebration!
In the meantime, if you have been benefited from projects supported by the Alliance, if you believe in our mission, if you share our commitment to creating a better future, please “pass it on” and tell your neighbor, friend or colleague. The more support we have from our members and volunteers, the better we can serve the region and build a more vibrant community and prosperous economy for us all.
Stuff happens. That’s the assumption most people make when they hear about 600 jobs being retained at CASCI or a new walking tour guide to Charleston’s East End.
The reality is that stuff -- especially good stuff -- doesn’t “just happen.” It usually is the product of years of concerted efforts by government and business leaders, community volunteers and groups like the Charleston Area Alliance who are working to create a more vibrant community and prosperous economy.
Take, for example, the Capitol Market. Now heralded as one of the area’s most successful and popular community development projects in recent history, the Capitol Market faced skepticism and significant fundraising hurdles as it moved from the “that’s a great idea” stage to a real live community marketplace. Determined efforts by volunteers from the Charleston Renaissance, one of the Alliance’s predecessor organizations, sustained the effort during the seven long and challenging years it took to complete the project.
Keeping the “good stuff” happening is the mission of the Charleston Area Alliance. Through a wide array of economic and community development initiatives, we strive to make the area a better place to live, work and play.
As with the Capitol Market, many of these initiatives unfold over several years. Currently, for example, we are working with three sizable companies that are considering the Charleston area as the site for a new operation or expansion. With these potential businesses would come good-paying jobs, capital investment in area land and buildings, and an expanded tax base for our schools and other important government services.
Our job is to help companies both large and small find appropriate land or facilities, develop utility infrastructure to support their operations and work with the state and local governments on incentives for setting up shop here. But it doesn’t happen easily and it doesn’t happen overnight. By the time you hear about a new business opening up, several years may have passed since it first started working with the Alliance.
In addition, confidentiality is critical to most businesses seeking to expand or consolidate its operations in a new location. If they are considering West Virginia, they may not want their competitors to know, and we don’t want our competing states to know either. That’s why you don’t hear about deals in the works until the ink is dry.
The same is often true with our community development efforts. Gateway Greenspace and Rails to Trails are just two examples of exciting projects we’re working on to improve our quality of space and place. But they also take considerable time, money and persistence to become a reality.
When we have good news to share, we’ll be the first to shout it from the rooftops. When we’re not tooting our own horn, however, it means we’re hard at work behind the scenes getting the good stuff ready to happen. That quiet you may hear is actually the lull before the storm of celebration!
In the meantime, if you have been benefited from projects supported by the Alliance, if you believe in our mission, if you share our commitment to creating a better future, please “pass it on” and tell your neighbor, friend or colleague. The more support we have from our members and volunteers, the better we can serve the region and build a more vibrant community and prosperous economy for us all.
posted by Charleston West Virginia Economic Development
@ 3:53 PM
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