Community
Our View: Region will benefit from pact
Cooperation in economic development among governments in the Mankato region will provide significant economic benefits in the future and displays the region as progressive and forward-thinking in its efforts to accommodate new and existing businesses.
Greater Mankato Growth announced Thursday the signing of a regional economic development agreement between seven cities and two counties in the region to work together in economic development. The cities include Mankato, Eagle Lake, St. Peter, Lake Crystal, Mapleton, Madison Lake and Le Sueur; the counties include Blue Earth and Nicollet.
The new venture and the leadership that brought it about make it a solid example of how the Mankato region is building a healthy community. It meets at least two dimensions of a healthy community The Free Press will be evaluating in the year ahead. It fits into the economic opportunity category and the community leadership category.
The agreement essentially gives businesses a one-stop shop for economic development information about the region as a whole. This information allows a business to know quickly where in the region there might be a rail spur, or what city has land available in its industrial park. Greater Mankato Growth (the combined Mankato chamber and economic development group) also can provide lots of business and demographic information about the region to prospective employers.
The cooperative agreement is unique in Minnesota and should work very well for the Mankato region. Minnesota Commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development Dan McElroy appeared at the news conference Thursday praising the joint services agreement.
The cooperative arrangement allows companies to see a wide variety of options for locating in the region and saves them the time of approaching each government entity separately. In essence, the regional economic development “product” is of higher value and higher quality.
Lake Crystal officials and others correctly noted that the small town will benefit even if a business decides to locate in some other city in the region. They will get new families considering their town as a place to live.
All in all, the agreement is a significant step making the Mankato area competitive with any other region in the state for economic development. Leadership at Greater Mankato Growth and the cities and counties involved deserve credit for making it happen.
The Community Development Initiative is an effort by The Free Press to highlight those things that affect Mankato region in terms of its ranking as a healthy community. There are eight dimensions by which The Free Press judges events that add or detract from the healthy community standing. For more information on those eight dimensions, see the “Community” menu at www.mankatofreepress.com
