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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-12-16 Business and Economic Development Committee Minutes BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE ' Tuesday, December 16, 2014 5:15 PM City Council Chambers Minutes Committee Members Present: Chair Baldacci, Councilor Faircloth, Councilor Nealley, Councilor Civiello, Councilor Plourde, and Councilor Graham City Staff Present: Tanya Emery, Cathy Conlow, Steve Bolduc, and Norm Heitmann Chair Baldacci called the meeting to order at 5:15 p.m. 1. Bangor Innovation Center Update Steve Bolduc, Economic Development Officer, explained that the Bangor Innovation Center is a business "incubator" designed to support small businesses during their start-up and early growth stages. This facility can accommodate manufacturers, distributors and business service companies on a short term lease basis after which they "graduate"to other locations within the community. The building is operated by the BanAir Corporation in a 25,000 sq. ft. building which is leased from the City of Bangor and located at 40 Johnson Avenue. There is a mixture of office space and flex space and the building has a loading dock and four overhead doors. Rental space and rents are based upon the business plan of the tenant. Mr. Bolduc indicated that the current tenants are Maine Alternative Comfort, Genotyping Center of America, RJ Allen Construction, and L & K Manufacturing. He noted some of the better known "graduates" from the Innovation Center are Chute Chemicals, My Maine Bag, Anzac Electronics and Ansewn Shoe. Committee Members had questions regarding how rents are calculated, if this could be something that could be marketed to other Universities and Colleges throughout Maine, and if classes from the University of Maine and Husson University could be invited to see the facility. Chair Baldacci asked if Staff could do some research and report back to the Committee on the New Markets Credit Program and Pine Tree Zones. Also, Chair Baldacci asked if the Committee could be updated on the status of the Foreign Trade Zone Expansion application. z 2. WaterfrontArchitecture/EngineeringContract Director Tanya Emery indicated that Staff wanted to bring the Committee up-to- date on the status of the Waterfront Architecture/Engineering Contract. She explained that the product will be a Planning Guide and not a specific plan for this area of the waterfront. Staff has been negotiating with FTL which is one of the top firms in the country. Councilor Civiello asked why the contract price had increased from the budgeted $50,000 to $65,000. Director Emery indicated that because of the quality of the work done by FTL and the desire to have the best possible firm working with the City on this, Staff has been negotiating with them to bring the cost down to $65,000 from their original proposal. The extra cost will be paid for by reallocating funds from within her DepartmenYs Budget. 3. Review of Bangor Federal Credit Union's preliminary plans Staff distributed copies of preliminary plans for the Committee's review of Bangor Federal Credit Union's proposed project to be located off of Maine Avenue in the Maine Business Enterprise Park. There being no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 5:40 p.m.