- Project
- Northeast
- Business Retention & Expansion (BRE)
- Industry Analytics
- Strategic Planning & Doing
- Regional
- Manufacturing
The Challenge
Covering a vast swath of New York’s North Country and portions of the Capital Region, the Lake Champlain Lake George Regional Planning Board (LCLGRPB) sprang into action during the COVID-19 pandemic to award emergency funding to business and provide critical support. While there was no disputing that the impacts of the pandemic had been felt in the region, it was less clear what locations and what industries took the greatest hit—and most importantly, why? Identifying these vulnerabilities could help the LCLGRPB and its partners plan for a more diverse and resilient economy now and into the future.
The Solution
As the region’s Economic Development District, LCLGRPB was awarded funding by the U.S. Economic Development Administration to carry out a planning process that would assess the impacts felt across the region, while also distinctly looking towards future opportunities for the region. Partnered with The Chazen Companies for land use and infrastructure analysis, Camoin Associates collected data and business intelligence that helped to build actionable strategies and even began implementation as planning was still underway. The latest market and industry data uncovered opportunities and vulnerabilities in key sectors like tourism and manufacturing.
The Impact
The immediate impact of the process was the collaboration across the five-county region. This situation brought together leaders to share ideas that had not yet happened on other platforms. Another actionable item that began shortly after project initiation was Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) surveys. These surveys helped launch the BRE program while also contributing to the business intelligence collection.
Currently, regional leaders are advancing initiatives that respond to the economic disruption. These initiatives will be further built out and resourced to ensure collaboration is prioritized as strategy is executed.
Listen to Coverage by North Country Public Radio
