Yes, Economic Development Impacts Homeowners

It might seem boring and detached to the average homeowner, but the Economic Development Council of South Miami-Dade is deeply integrated with the success of our community. Since 1993 (as part of the Hurricane Andrew recovery), the EDC has slowly and surely guided our community to a variety of successes.

The South Florida Regional Planning Council recently received a Federal grant of $250,000 and the EDC acts as the out-front face of the grant, working with the public and private sectors to achieve the community’s goals.

The EDC Board of Directors recently named Peter A. England as their executive director. England is no stranger to community activism and he certainly brings enough energy and excitement to change our mindset and potentially the very future of our community. Having been the director of marketing for Florida Power & Light and chair of the Economic Development Task Force of Palmetto Bay, and as chair of fundraising and development for the Deering Estate Foundation, England has the chops and the connections to make things happen.

The EDC is working with Lambert Advisory, a Miami-based research firm, to put an actionable development and revitalization plan in place. England points out that the EDC’s primary focus is job creation, but there are potential side effects from that task. Without a balance of growth in infrastructure, affordable housing, retail/shopping and everything in between, the whole thing is an exercise in futility. To his point, the traffic and transportation challenges we face today are critical. England suggests that creating jobs in the right areas can alleviate traffic all flowing towards downtown Miami. “To create a reverse commute to let’s say the Homestead area, we need to work with new and existing businesses to help them grow,” explains England. “With those new geographically-responsible jobs will come a better business tax base and a likely relief on traffic.”

“I learn something new every day on this job,” explains England. “For example, the agricultural industry in South Dade has hit on tough times of late. Yet, I learned of a technology company that through software can increase the yield for a farmer up to 5x on the same land! And they can do it with less water and resources. This is potential game changer.” England plans on seeing how he can bring this to bear in South Dade. “I’m certainly not against residential development, but we need to do it with a more global eye and perspective to create the balance we need.”

England invites anyone with an idea to come to the next public EDC meeting scheduled for January 30 at Evelyn Greer Park at 9am. “We want to hear as many voices as possible.”