Local business development opportunities like a new downtown in Oviedo, a more prosperous Town Center in Winter Springs, a hospital for both communities, a more stable business environment, community redevelopment, and a solar panel center … this is the stuff of this report.
Feature length 25:18
John Jones, senior planner for Land Design Innovations (LDI), offers an update on the economic development initiatives being advanced under his supervision by the cities of Oviedo and Winter Springs, Florida, leading to potential growth opportunities for these cities which sit side by side in east Seminole County.
Combined, the cities are expending more than a quarter of a million dollars for LDI’s services and experience…services you’ll hear more about in this feature, and experience which could lead, in the long term, to a substantial and sustained return on the cities’ investment as well as strongly positioning the cities with a viable presence of major new businesses and a healthier collection of existing businesses.
Jones is an articulate and capable guide for this feature. He is the go-to-guy to whom the cities turn to advise, asses and implement many important and long term business development strategies.
His explanation of these business development initiatives is planfull and methodical. The amount and scope of information which Jones will describe can be a bit off putting in its jargon and scope… yet, the potential outcome for the cities, its businesses and its tax paying residents — who are footing this development bill — may well be substantially beneficial for generations to come.
To gain a more complete history and understanding of business development and the role LDI plays, you are encouraged to listen to several features we have previously produced which feature Jones. Links to those pieces are provided below.
Below, we’ve provided additional information about Jones, LDI, and links to various documents, reports and plans he references.
You may also wish to listen to the extended interview with Jones from which this features was excerpted. It lasts 61 minutes. In it, you’ll hear Jones address more details about the contracts each city has with LDI, the role of city staff in relation to Jones as a consultant, the intricacies of community redevelopment area plans and how revenues from those plans are reapplied, the cooperation between elected leadership of both cities, and how Jones and the team stay focused.
Bio & Extended Interview
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John M. Jones
senior planner, Land Design Innovations
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Extended Interview
Feature Length — 1:00:50
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Links to other podcasts produced by CMF Public Media featuring John M. Jones
- Innovation: The Future of Regional Economic Development (2/24/2010)
- Coping with the Economy: Economic Development (3/04/2010)
Useful links to issues addressed by John M. Jones
- City of Oviedo Economic Development Website
- Oviedo Business Survey Results – PDF 18 pages
- City of Winter Springs Planning and Land Development Division Website
Other links from area newspapers regarding local economic development
- Redevelopment Act approved for Oviedo – (from Seminole Chronicle)
- Oviedo, W.S. join business enterprise - (from Seminole Chronicle)
- W.S. poised to get the job done - (from Seminole Chronicle)
- Oviedo Council making strides - (from Seminole Chronicle)
- Tax money to revive Oviedo - (from Seminole Voice)
