Economic Development is the name of our game and the Denver South Economic Development Partnership (Denver South EDP) is proud to join the Economic Development Council of Colorado and the State of Colorado to celebrate International Economic Development Week! Governor John Hickenlooper proclaimed May 8-13 Economic Development Week in Colorado to celebrate achievements within the economic development profession and the important role economic developers play in building a resilient, thriving state.
As an economic development organization, Denver South EDP seeks to build a vibrant, innovative and diversified economy in the South Metro Denver region. By creating a positive business climate, a hub of innovation for entrepreneurs, quality jobs and education and a modern infrastructure Denver South EDP helps position the region a national and global center of excellence. Through local, regional and global business recruitment and retention, public policy advocacy, and public-private partnerships. Denver South EDP is building Colorado’s premier region.
Economic Development in Denver South: Major Announcements
Denver South EDP assisted with 7 expansions and relocations in 2016, bringing more than 2,067 jobs to the area. Major announcements included:
Charter Communications– 922 jobs and a new regional headquarters built in Greenwood Village, plus an expansion in Douglas County.
Arrow Electronics– 263 jobs with expansion in Centennial.
Mikron– 83 jobs with a new building in Arapahoe County.
Toastmasters International– 325 jobs in Douglas County as they moved their corporate headquarters from Southern California.
Republic National Distributors– 50 jobs with expansion in Arapahoe County.
Viveve Inc.– 130 jobs in Douglas County after moving their corporate headquarters from Northern California.
Businessolver– 294 jobs with expansion in Greenwood Village.
Four of the top ten CoStar Leases were also executed in Denver South including:
# 2 Charter Communications
# 3 Comcast
# 4 Charter Communications
# 6 EKS&H
Since 2011 Denver South EDP has assisted with more than 65 relocations and expansions generating 14,640 new jobs and $3 billion in investment throughout the corridor.
Building Public-Private Partnerships
Denver South EDP also brings together the public and private sectors to form high impact partnerships that benefit the quality of life for Denver South residents and make the corridor an even more attractive place to live, work and play. Recent examples include:
Colorado Smart Cities Alliance
Launched by Denver South EDP, the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance is a state-wide, multi-jurisdictional partnership designed to accelerate the development of Smart City initiatives across the state of Colorado. Denver South EDP works with local jurisdictions and businesses to build one of the leading Smart Cities regions in the country where companies can test their IoT and Smart City concepts at scale. This alliance brings together cities and counties across Colorado to leverage economies of scale, share successes and failures and increase the value of Smart City efforts to citizens and businesses.
Southeast Rail Extension
Construction of the Southeast Rail Line began in May 2016 and is a $233 million project that will add a 2.3-mile extension connecting Lincoln to RidgeGate Parkway with stops at Sky Ridge Medical Center, Lone Tree City Center and RidgeGate. A bold public-private partnership, the Southeast Rail Line Extension brought together local business associations and businesses in the southeast metro Denver area who contributed $25 million in cash and an estimated $3 million in in-kind contributions for land and right-of-way to get the light rail extension project completed. This project connects the southern portions of the Denver South Corridor to downtown Denver and, by connection, Denver International Airport. The Denver South Economic Development Partnership assisted with the funding of this exemplary project.
Go Centennial Pilot
The first and last mile problem frequently confronts cities and jurisdictions as the address how to get commuters to and from transit stations. Through a first-of-it’s kind partnership with Lyft the City Centennial, in partnership with CH2M, the Denver South Transportation Management Association/ Southeast Public Improvement Metropolitan District, Via Mobility Services and Xerox, built an on-demand responsive mobile platform that provided efficient transportation connections to and from the RTD Dry Creek Light Rail Station. Travelers used the Go Denver App to book a free first or last mile trip to or from the Dry Creek Light Rail Station. The Go Denver App communicated directly with the Lyft App to ensure a car was ordered to the origin and destination as specified by the user.
All week Denver South EDP will be highlighting Economic Development week on our social media channels so follow along on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to learn more. If you are considering relocating your business to or expanding in Denver South, learn how we can help you and contact a member of our team to get started on the best decision you’ll ever make!
