Economic Development Program Highlights (Cont.)

Business Counseling Services: CEED

The Center for Economic Empowerment and Development (CEED) provides direct support to entrepreneurs and small businesses that are starting or expanding a business.

 Contracts have not been executed

 Awarded $80,000 CDBG funds and $35,353 from General Fund

Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority (FMHA)

The City will support the FMHAs partnership with Apprenticeship NC, FTCC and MidCarolina Workforce Development by funding a Job Skills Training/Pre-Apprenticeship Pilot Program.

 Contract is currently being reviewed by FMHA attorney

 FMHA public housing residents can enroll in a 12.5 week course entitled “Construction Skills” where they will learn valuable construction skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and will be able to earn a livable wage

 $25,000 budgeted

Economic Development Incentive Payments

The City offers incentives for developers that develop, operate, and maintain the approved project in accordance with the approved incentive agreement.

 HMM Hospitality developed the Springhill Suites project at 4750 Lake Valley Dr. with a direct investment of $8,500,000; was to create/maintain 30 jobs; will receive the fifth and final incentive payment estimated at $16,343 this program year; payments began in 2019

 Campbell Soup project at 2610 Clark West Rd. was a $40M investment; 100 new jobs were verified December 2021; 14 addiitonal new jobs expected by December 2022; will receive the 3rd of 7 incentive payments this program year estimated at $154,118; payments began in 2020

Downtown Management Contract

The Cool Spring Downtown District (CSDD) Inc. is a charitable, nonprofit corporation formed in 2017 to create and sustain an arts and entertainment district located in downtown Fayetteville as a vibrant center of artistic, cultural, civic, and commercial activity.

 Eleven new businesses opened during the quarter; two businesses relocated within the district; and two businesses closed

 Six businesses are slated to open later this year

 CSDD was awarded a one-time grant from Duke Energy to support the creation of a Microgrant Program to offer exterior grants from $500-$2,500; program to launch October 2022 and is expected to assist up to 22 street level businesses

 HB890 is a bill lobbied for by the NC Retail Merchants Association in the spirit of driving business to retailers in urban cores and expanding a community’s sense of livability. The bill, adopted into law in the fall of 2021, allows Cities and Counties to create “Social districts” and provides them the opportunity to ease open-container laws. A social district is a defined outdoor area in which a person may consume alcoholic beverages sold by an ABC permittee. City Council is currently considering establishing a social district downtown.