EH 1.1 - Employment Base

Support the enhancement of the community’s economic base and primary job creation by focusing on retention, expansion, incubation and recruitment efforts that create jobs and import income or dollars to the community, particularly businesses in the adopted Target Industry Clusters.

EH 1.2 - Improve Business Engagement

Support the identification and refinement of services for our business customers by engaging businesses of all sizes and across all industries. The business community is an essential partner in fostering a vibrant, resilient and inclusive economy. Business engagement should utilize best practices related to capital construction management, land use code decisions and capital project prioritization.

EH 1.3 - Sales and Use-Tax Revenue

Support programs that encourage residents to spend retail dollars locally before looking elsewhere for goods and services. Emphasize the retention and recruitment of retailers or development projects that have a positive impact on sales-tax generation, specifically focused on increasing retail-sales inflow and reducing retail-sales leakage.

EH 1.4 - Strategic Economic Investments

Focus on job diversity, retail sales-tax revenue and essential infrastructure/capital facilities when considering direct economic investments, because these community goals create a vibrant and resilient economy. Also, consider the economic, environmental and human-related community goals set forth in this document when making direct investments.

EH 1.5 - Economic Resilience

Maintain a diverse economy that is prepared to anticipate, innovate and proactively respond to cyclical economic fluctuations and changes as the community approaches buildout of available land.

EH 1.6 - Nighttime Economy

Recognize and address the unique needs and impacts of the nighttime economy through collaborative efforts in the interest of safety, vibrancy and quality of life for all stakeholders. A well-managed nighttime economy, which includes nightlife, bars, entertainment, restaurants and other evening activities, positively contributes to the community’s vitality.

EH 2.1 - Innovation Economy

Support a regional innovation ecosystem that fuels business development and job creation by leveraging local assets including human capital, research institutions, industrial base, physical infrastructure and quality of life. Continue exploration of Smart Cities and City As a Platform initiatives to support the innovation ecosystem.

EH 2.2 - Assets to Support Entrepreneurship

Support and invest in the expansion of research and development institutions, business incubators, entrepreneurial networks, business development programs and other physical assets necessary to support entrepreneurship. These assets should also include financial tools and capital to support innovation and entrepreneurship by leveraging local, state and national grant programs and lending tools. Continue and grow partnerships with CSU and other institutions to identify research activities and associated needs that can be leveraged into business creation.

EH 2.3 - Climate Economy

Support local and regional efforts to help attract, support and develop businesses that are adapting to and/or developing profitable solutions for a lower- carbon future economy.

EH 2.4 - Northern Colorado Innovation Hub

Work with regional partners to collectively market Northern Colorado as a center for innovation and highlight the range of strengths that can bring investment and employers to the region. Identify ways the City can serve as a platform for testing of new Smart Cities research and idea development.

EH 3.1 - Business Programs

Work with the local business community to ensure that economic health strategies and plans are identified to improve the local economy. Collectively identify programs and support efforts that will help existing businesses and new-business creation. Analyze barriers to the retention of businesses and employees, including access to affordable childcare and attainable housing.

EH 3.2 - Local and Creative Entrepreneurship

Identify and work with local entrepreneurs and creative enterprises to strengthen existing businesses and incubate new businesses. This will result in job creation, improved cultural awareness and growth in the creative economy.

EH 3.3 - Strengthen Unique and Local Industry

Identify businesses and professions that are unique to Fort Collins and highlight those opportunities to drive economic development in the city. Showcase these local businesses, such as the local brewing industry, in promotional efforts to increase local and national awareness and recognition of the locally grown businesses.

EH 4.1 - Targeted Employment and Mixed-Use Areas

Create and maintain plans for targeted employment areas (Downtown, Midtown, Harmony Corridor, I-25 interchange areas and Mulberry Corridor) to support investment, development and redevelopment in these areas to create new places for employment to grow. Encourage and support higher-intensity employment uses through land use policies and investment in infrastructure and services, such as transit, that support these employment areas.

EH 4.2 - Infill and Redevelopment Barriers in Mixed-Use Employment Districts

Develop new and modify current policies, procedures and practices to reduce and resolve barriers to infill development and redevelopment in mixed-use employment districts. Utilize and support public funding and financing tools that facilitate redevelopment, reduce costs associated with redevelopment, increase access to amenities and services and address feasibility gaps.

EH 4.3 - Essential Infrastructure / Capital Facilities

Prioritize investment in infrastructure that supports economic health activities within the constraints of City financial resources and that satisfies the triple- bottom-line objectives of the community.

EH 4.4 - Future Employment Areas

Align the Structure Plan and development regulations to support the areas that are desirable and suitable for future employment-growth needs. Identify deficiencies in these areas that need to be addressed to make them suitable and desirable.

EH 5.1 - Economic Partnerships

Collaborate with the business community, various business organizations, educational institutions (e.g., FRCC), regional research and development institutions (e.g., CSU, CDC), and economic development organizations (e.g., Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce, One NoCo, Upstate Colorado, Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development, and adjacent communities in both Larimer and Weld counties) to encourage and support a healthy economy; provide employment opportunities; increase private investment; and improve the quality of life for Fort Collins residents.

EH 5.2 - Unified vision

Work collaboratively with partners to create a unified regional vision for sustained economic growth. Provide a leading example through the economic efforts of the City to help develop the vision.

EH 5.3 - Fort Collins/Loveland Airport

Support the Northern Colorado Regional Airport as a regional transportation destination to provide the economic development benefits associated with having an airport in close proximity.

EH 5.4 - Regional Infrastructure

Actively participate in conversations with other municipalities, organizations and regional leaders to collaborate on upgrading transportation and other regional infrastructure to fulfill Fort Collins’ goals. These discussions shall focus on the benefits that may be created for Fort Collins and consider the goals in this plan with respect to economic, environmental and human objectives.

EH 6.1 - Balanced Growth

Ensure that the Structure Plan supports a mixture of housing and employment growth to allow for workers to have an opportunity to live in the community and reduce the needs of employers to rely on workers coming from outside the city and region.

EH 6.2 - Career Pathways

Collaborate with regional partners to align workforce efforts and educational institutions’ offerings with local business needs to ensure that residents have the skills needed to support the local economy and have the opportunity to grow in their career paths locally.

EH 6.3 - Youth Engagement

Educate young residents about the wide variety of career opportunities available locally and inform them about educational resources that can help create opportunities for future careers.