MAYOR’S STIMULUSTASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION

JUNE 2011 - OCTOBER 2011

economic Quarterly

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Need a permit fast?Ask someone in a yellow shirt!

In Pompano Beach, we know that obtaining building

permits can sometimes be a confusing and frustrating

process, especially if you don’t know how to navigate the

system. The City of Pompano Beach Development Services

Department recently hired four permit expediters who are

given one basic charge: ease and expedite the building

permit process. Our expediters know the codes and

procedures associated with obtaining building permits.

They coordinate the permit process by logging, labeling,

routing, tracking and monitoring submitted plans.

This saves our residents, contractors and builders time,

money and aggravation.

Our trained team of permit expediters can be easily

recognized by their yellow shirts. They are available to

meet with applicants to provide a preliminary review of

applications and communicate information about our per-

mit process. They also conduct project research and help

with paperwork in order to allow plan reviewers more time

to review your building permit. In some cases, they split

permits so that different trades can conduct concurrent

reviews. These efforts help expedite the permitting

process, so you get your permit sooner.

The permit expediting program has been in place for less

than a year and we have already experienced measurable

success. Our plan reviewers are now able to review more

permits daily, and the turnaround time for permits has been

significantly reduced. The expediters will be in-

strumental in ensuring a smooth and seamless

transition to the E-Plan program.

In the future, our permit ex-

pediters will offer pick up

and deliv- ery services

for some permits.

Click above and ask to be added to the Pompano

Beach Economic Quarterly E-Newsletter distribution

list or email christine.wadka@copbfl.com

:: Page One ::

On March 22nd, 2011, the City of

Pompano Beach City Commission

adopted a new logo and a brand

promise. The City promises to “provide

an envioronment where your comfort,

enjoyment ans success is our top priority”.

The City and Community Redevelopment

Agency (CRA) retained the firm

Wilesmith Advertising and Design to

research, identify and design the

new Pompano Beach brand. The

advertisement team conducted a series

of interviews and community

meetings, and gained input from

a Branding Committee that was

comprised of City staff, the CRA,

Advisory Boards, local business leaders,

the Historical Society and the Chamber

of Commerce. The City will use the new

logo on City business cards, vehicles,

shirts and signs.

Kim Briesemeister, co-executive

director of the CRA and branding

committee member said “It’s about

a brand promise, not a tagline and

not an image. The idea is to send a

cohesive message about what the City

wants to say to its residents, business

community and tourists.” Another

branding committee member Elaine

Fitzgerald said “The colors make

you feel the parks, beach and clean

environment.”

Florida’s Warmest Welcome

MAYOR’S STIMULUSTASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION

CITY OF POMP ANO BEA CH

economic Quarterly christine.wadka@copbfl.com

:: Page Two ::

Duke Invests in Pompano

Duke Realty Corporation (NYSE: DRE), an Indianapolis-based real estate investment trust, has started the process to purchase Pompano Beach based Premier Commercial Realty’s 4.9 million square foot South Florida portfolio (3.4 million square feet of the portfolio went to closing on December, 2011). The total purchase price is $450 million, with Duke also assuming $292 million of debt. City officials had a ‘meet and greet’ with Duke Realty on January 6th, 2011.

The agreement includes four Pompano Beach business parks and five other similar properties scattered

across South Florida from Davie to Plantation to Boynton Beach to West Palm Beach. The Pompano

Beach properties include:

Recently, the South Florida Business Journal

included the top two parks from the list above on

their Top 25 Largest Business Parks (ranked by acres

developed) in South Florida. The Atlantic Business

Center ranked 18th with 137 acres, while Park

Central came in 25th with 90 acres.

Considering the City’s entire industrial market is ap-

proximently 30.4 million square feet, this purchase

encompasses 10% of the entire Pompano Beach

submarket. Pompano Beach industrial properties

comprise just over 23% of the entire Broward

County market; with this deal, Duke has effectively

purchased 2.3% of the Broward County market. The

move makes Duke one of the largest commercial

property owners in South Florida with more than

7 million square feet. The South Florida Business

Journal listed this purchase as the # 1 deal in the

County in 2010.

Industry statistics from the fourth quarter of 2010

show the Pompano Beach submarket with a vacancy

rate of 9.5%. After applying this figure to the newly

purchased space, it would seem that Duke has

approximately 281,000 square feet of available

space. Duke is marketing aggressively to lease up

their new space. Nearby properties will also reap the

benefit from the increased exposure.

Currently, Duke has submitted applications for per-

mits to build-out 110,000 square feet for the De-

partment of Treasury and to build-out 2901 NW 27th

Avenue for Agro Turboserve, an aerospace company

relocating to Pompano Beach from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Duke Realty CoRp. loCations

Atlantic Business Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,300,000 sf

Park Central Business Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .972,430 sf

Sample 95 Business Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .469,318 sf

Copans Business Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .384,711 sf

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,126,459 sf

:: Page Three ::

TourIsmin Pompano

In an effort to help stimulate the business

economy in the City of Pompano Beach, the

Mayor’s Stimulus Task Force was formed in October

of 2009. The Task Force concluded that based upon

the ongoing tourism analysis, the City should define

a tourism strategy and a plan for the City. The Task

Force invited Alexa Von Staden, a masters student in

the University of Florida’s Tourism and Commercial

recreation program to prepare a working document

that would form the basis of future tourism planning

and development in the City of Pompano Beach. The

report, which is known as “Tourism in Pompano Beach

– Overview and Assessment “2010” included both

short-term and long-term recommendations.

This 2010 report formed the foundation for the creation of a Tourism Strategic Planning Team (TSPT). This group arduously worked to create an Action Plan for the City of Pompano Beach called “Tourism in Pompano Beach – Planning, Development, Marketing and Management (2011).” The group adopted the fol-

lowing vision statement:

“Pompano Beach will enjoy prosperity and sustain-

ability as a tourism destination in a renewed environ-

ment wherein our local tourism industry functions and

grows as an integral part of the economic development

and positive image of the City of Pompano Beach.”

The Action Plan establishes specific goals and

strategies in the following areas: physical environ-

ment, accommodations, ecotourism, sports tourism,

cultural / heritage tourism, and leisure activities such

as shopping, dining, entertainment and sightseeing.

The Plan also addresses branding, marketing, adver-

tising and public relations.

The Tourism Strategic Planning Team was charged with

addressing the following issues and recommendations

contained in the Tourism Overview and Assessment:”

o A1A Scenic Corridor (3 miles)

o Atlantic Boulevard Corridor

o Federal highway corridor sections immediately north and south of the East CRA boundaries

o Rehabilitation of existing accommodations

o New hotels and tourism related development

o Ecotourism

o Sport Tourism

o Cultural/ Heritage

o Relationship building Convention & Visitors Bureau and Visit Florida

o Partnerships with neighboring municipalities and chamber of commerce

o Tourism focused press releases/ media relation- ships/communication outlets including web cam

o Tourism advertising/ marketing program

o Visitor Center and Kiosks

o Comprehensive Visitor’s Guide

o Comprehensive website & connectivity w/other sites

o Community involvement via City Advisory Boards/ members

o Partnerships with schools offering hospitality and related programs

o City-wide branding initiative

Keeping our Economy Afloat

This article was derived from the reports prepared by Alexa Von Staden and Sandra Von Staden.

Why is Tourism so Important?

c. Snap-shot of a tourist in Broward County

The tourism action plan was presented to the City Commission on April 26th, 2011. The Tourism Strategic

Planning Team also identified the Tourism Network, which will be integral to implementing the City’s

tourism goal. This informal network consists of representatives from the City of Pompano Beach, the

EDC, the CRA, local citizens, professional advisors, the Chamber of Commerce, local public & not-for-profits,

and other tourism marketing partners. Together, this network will help create the framework to effectively and

efficiently support the tourism industry in Pompano Beach.

:: Page Four ::

A. Psychological & Development Benefits:

• Provides urban, neighborhood revitalization

• Generates pride, enthusiasm for local residents

• Encourages historic preservation

• Improves destination image

• Creates social activities for public

• Aids protection of natural resources

• Develops interpersonal skills

Average Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 years

Average Household Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $85,100

Average Number in Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.7

Average Length of Stay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.9 Nights

Average Expenditures (per person per day) . . . . . . . $152.00

B. Indirect & Induced Benefits:

• Creates jobs and services

• Generates new payroll

• Reduces taxes paid by existing residents

• Enhances local infrastructure

• Provides for city services, personnel

• Enhances real estate values

• Diversifies economy

• Attracts businesses

• Encourages entrepreneurial opportunities

Other Paid

Private Home

Hotel/Motel

43%

33%

25%

AccommodationsD. Accommodations

Mode of Transportation

Air

Auto

Other

46%49%

5%

E. mode of Transportation

Purpose of StayGeneral Vacation

Visit Friends/Relatives

Getaway Weekend

Special Event

Other Personal

Other

34%

35%8%

8%

6%10%

F. Purpose of stayOne Adult

Couple

Families

Other

Trip Party Composition

23%

19%

38%

20%

G. Trip Party Composition

Source: C, D, E, F & G Excerpt from “Tourism in Pompano Beach – Overview and Assessment (2010).” Provided by Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, August 2009. Information determined by D.K. Shifflet & Associated Ltd. and Visit Florida 2006

continued on page 5

Source: A & B US Travel Association 2009

spotlight on sustainabilityOn the Fast-Track

The Pompano Beach City Commission voted to

create an electronic plan review (E-Plan) process

that will be accessible through the City’s website.

The E-Plan review process will allow designers to

submit electronic (paperless) plans to the City for

review. Through the electronic submittal, multiple

plan reviewers will be able to look at the plans at

the same time. The software will also highlight any

revisions to the plans, thus allowing the City to re-

view plan revisions quickly and accurately. These

efficiency gains will mean that residents, builders

and businesses will be able to receive their build-

ing permits in less time than ever before. In addi-

tion to speeding up the permitting process, E-per-

mitting will reduce printing and production costs

by eliminating the need for multiple paper copies

of printed plans.

E-permitting will not only decrease the amount of

paper wasted, but will reduce unnecessary travel

to City Hall. This initiative will compliment the

green building program, which offers incentives

to green certified projects including “fast-track”

permitting, reduced permitting fees and final

project designation by the City.

The City has purchased the software and hardware to

make the E-Plan program possible. Pompano Beach’s

IT department is currently configuring the new

computers for deployment. The City plans to go live

with the E-permitting system with the new fiscal year.

:: Page Five ::

Did You Know?Pompano Beach has many annual events and

local traditions for both tourists and City residents.

Some highlights include:

• Fishing Rodeo- largest sport fishing tournament in South Florida

• Holiday Boat Parade

• Seafood Festival

• Nautical Flea Market

• Green Market - December through April

• Car Show

• East Village Uncorked

• Music Under the Stars Free summer concert series

To view a detailed list of the City’s events, please

visit the Sun N’ Fun section of the City’s Trade Winds

magazine located at www.mypompanobeach.org,

or in the events section of our city’s website.

H. What Activities areThey Engaged in?

Source: H, Excerpt from “Tourism in Pompano Beach – Overview and As-sessment (2010).” Provided by Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, August 2009. Information determined by D.K. Shifflet & Associated Ltd., in 2000.

Beach/Waterfront

Shopping

Tourism/Sightseeing

Fine Dining

Boating/Sailing

Watch Sports Events

Playing Golf

Museum, Play, Concert

Visit Historic Site(s)

Festivals/Craft Fairs

Other

23%

18%

16%20%

8%

3%3%

3%2%

2%2%

:: Page Six ::

The City of Pompano Beach economy functions with-

in the regional context of Broward County and eco-

nomic activity in Broward reveals trends and creates

opportunities for Pompano Beach. To take advantage

of the regional dynamics, the City of Pompano Beach

is involved with the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward

Alliance (the Alliance) which is the official Broward

County public/private partnership for

economic development. The mis-

sion of the Alliance is to lead

Broward County in build-

ing a stronger and more

diverse economy. This is

done by promoting in-

creased public/private

sector collaboration,

delivering business

development initia-

tives focused on new in-

vestment and job growth,

enhancing the competitive-

ness of Broward’s business

climate and driving regional

initiatives. Along with its part-

ners, the Alliance markets Broward

County to reach company executives,

site selectors and real estate consultants.

The top public and private sector leaders

in Broward County are involved in the Al-

liance, including business, government,

academia and community leaders.

In March 2011, the Alliance announced the re-

cent locations of two companies in Broward County.

Off Grid Solar, Inc. is located at 2775 NW 63rd Ct. in

Fort Lauderdale. Off-Grid Solar, Inc. manufactures

solar energy panels and plans to hire 150 employees

and make a capital investment of $11.7 million. CRO-

MA Pharmaceuticals is an Austrian based company

involved in the manufacture of ophthalmology, or-

thopedics and aesthetics products. CROMA located

a new subsidiary in Fort Lauderdale. The company

is expected to have ten employees in the first year.

CROMA was founded in Vienna in the mid 70s and

Fort Lauderdale is their launch site in the U.S. market.

The Alliance assisted with both of these projects.

The Alliance performed extensive industry cluster out-

reach in the first quarter of 2011. Alliance members

attended the Mobile World Congress in

Barcelona, Spain, and the CoreNet

Global NYC Discovery Forum in

New York City. The Mobile

World Congress is the

mobile industry’s “must

attend” event each year

and the Alliance took

the opportunity to tell

some of the world’s

leading wireless com-

panies why they should

consider Broward County

as their location of choice for

future expansions and reloca-

tions. With some of the leading

wireless companies in the world

already located here, including Mo-

torola, Research in Motion, Foxconn

and General Dynamics C4 Systems, the

Alliance was able to tell others in this $1

trillion industry about the benefits of lo-

cating in the area’s strong and successful

cluster. Local technology leader Citrix was

also at the Congress and provided impor-

tant introductions for the Broward team.

More than 40 directors of corporate real estate at-

tended the Corenet Global Forum and met with ac-

tive headquarter prospect contacts and corporate

real estate/site selection consultants in the New York

City area. The Alliance’s CEO Council served as the

primary sponsor of the Forum.

The Alliance held their Economic Gardening Forum

for Second Stage Companies on April 8th at the Sig-

continued on page 7

Partnership forEconomicThe following clips were all taken from the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward Alliances newsletter.

First Quarter News from the President of the Greater Fort Lauderdale (Broward) Alliance: Partnership for Economic Growth

:: Page Seven ::

nature Grand in Davie. Second stage companies are

those that have 10-50 employees and revenues of

$1 million to $25 million a year. The Alliance offers

a free suite of economic gardening support services

including 40 hours of technical assistance and up to a

$250,000 business loan, access to CEO Forums, events

and a statewide referral network, to qualified Second

Stage Companies. Contact the Alliance at www.gflal-

liance.org for more information.

The Palm Beach Strategic Forum was held April 4th,

2011 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

The Alliance was one of the partners in this event. The

Palm Beach Strategic Forum, held under the auspices

of the International Economic Forum of the Ameri-

cas, is a non-profit organization fostering dialogue on

national and global issues. The Forum has grown to

The Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is open for business and the first project in the

East CRA has started. The East Atlantic Boulevard Streetscape improvement project kicked off on April 27 with

a Ground Breaking Ceremony that celebrated a grand vision for the businesses and the gateway to Pompano

Beach. Planned improvements for this project include reconfigured street lanes, wider sidewalks for outside

dining, and enhanced landscaping. This project will take approximately four months to complete. The CRA is

also in discussions with the property and business owners to beautify the building exteriors. Frank’s Ristorante

received a Façade & Business Site Improvement Grant and Merchant Assistance Program Grant and is working

towards being the first building updated on this block.

In the meantime, CRA consultants are

working on all other East CRA projects

and the construction documents are

90% complete and moving forward with

the permitting process. These projects

include improvements on Atlantic Bou-

levard, from NE 20th Ave to A1A, the new

parking lot and façade improvements to

the Harbor Village commercial subdivi-

sion, and Pompano Beach Boulevard,

from Atlantic Boulevard to NE 5th Street.

In the Northwest CRA, work continues along NW 6th Ave and NW 6th St., while permits are being secured to

finish site development activities at Ortanique Estates. The CRA has contracted with Keith & Associates and

their sub-consultants to provide design services for the Downtown Pompano Connectivity Project. Keith &

Associates was the #1 ranked firm in a Request for Qualification published by the CRA in December, and the

CRA Board authorized CRA staff to begin negotiations in March. Staff expects to begin design activities imme-

diately. The design plans will take approximately six months to be completed.

become a landmark organization bringing together

more than 5,000 delegates and over 200 speakers

combined under the auspices of three annual confer-

ences: the Conference of Montreal, the Toronto Forum

for Global Cities and the Palm Beach Strategic Forum.

For more information, please go to http://pbstrategic-

forum.com/.

The Alliance contributed to the March edition of Flor-

ida Trend magazine which printed a 35 page special

section on Broward County. The section talks about

many of the reasons companies are choosing Broward

County as their location of choice.

The Alliance Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday,

October 13th, 2011, at 6:00 p.m. More information is

available at www.gflalliance.org.

CrA: on the move >>

east atlantiC B

oulevaRD

:: Page Eight ::

A property located at 731 MLK Boulevard /Hammondville Road has been purchased by the CRA with plans to

develop it into a ± 6,000 sq. ft. retail/office facility. The 1st phase of this project is to process a site plan through

the Planning and Zoning Department followed by final design plans and necessary construction permits.

Incentive Program Grant RecipientsThe renovations to the properties located at 2201, 2205 and 2209 E. Atlantic Blvd. in the East CRA District are

complete. Improvements to the building included adding a parapet, new impact glass, new light fixtures and

design accents.

Construction has begun at the properties located at 31, 44, 50 and 60 N.E. 1st Street in Old Pompano, a

component of the Downtown Pompano Connectivity Plan in the NW CRA district. Improvements to the

building include new impact glass, new exterior walls, new stucco and paint.

Pompano Beach CRA Business Resource CenterThe Pompano Beach CRA is proud to announce the Grand Opening of the Pompano Beach CRA Business Resource Center. This newly renovated facility located at 50 NE 1st Street in Old Pompano, opened in June and will house the Microenterprise Business Loan Fund Program, the new Business Incubator Program and the new Job Placement Center. Since 2006, the Microenterprise Business Loan Fund Program has offered business training, one on one technical assistance and loans to qualifying micro/small businesses. The Business Incubator is a place where micro/small businesses can operate under one roof, sharing services and receiving business support at a reasonable cost. The Incubator will have seven on-site, actual business office spaces and 40 virtual office spaces for businesses that do not need an actual office but want to take advantage of the business support and services. The Job Placement Center will offer job seekers access to material, equipment and individual support to assist them in finding employment, training and educational

opportunities. To learn more about these programs and how you can participate, please call 954-786-7867.

BeFoRe & a

FteR

BeFoRe & a

FteR

MAYOR’S STIMULUSTASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION