On the recommendation of a friend, Wanda and I had lunch today at a new restaurant that has opened in north Blue Springs.  “Real Jalisco” is located at 1414 NW Highway 7 near Ross Miller Cleaners.  This authentic Mexican fine dining restaurant has some tasty meals available.  The owner is enthusiastic and really wants to showcase the cuisine from his part of Mexico.  The service was excellent and the recommendations he made were excellent.  I am certain we will be visiting this restaurant again.  The restaurant is open Mon-Sun 11am-10pm.  You can reach them at (816) 229-8200.

As I observed this past Monday’s City Council meeting, what struck me once again regarding certain members of the City Council is how they repeatedly seem to excel at being an embarrassment to our community. 

At first glance, one might see a thread of logic in some of the questions our District 3 councilmen asked of Blue Springs EDC President Brien Starner regarding Missouri Innovation Park. But when you drill down into the facts several inconsistencies arise that leave one wondering about the nature of their true motives.

Councilman Solon asked whether the EDC had ever paid a sitting councilman for services rendered.

One would hope our EDC would choose, whenever feasible and appropriate, to utilize local business services in Blue Springs.  Several councilmen, current and former, own businesses in our community. It would be no surprise that such activity might have occurred. 

My company has helped the EDC on a number of occasions with computer network issues since my service as a city councilman. Prior to engaging my company, the EDC did its homework to ensure that the services it was purchasing would be delivered at a fair price and at the professional level it required. We participated in a competitive bid process and were awarded the work based on the bid submitted.

I am proud we were able to provide the quality service to meet the needs of the EDC.

Councilman Solon suggested that the city should consider placing Innovation Park on a 100-acre tract north of I-70 on Adams Dairy Parkway.  She seemed puzzled as to why a 250-plus-acre project would not fit on a 100-acre tract.

Why is she so determined to promote that land and so opposed to the current location? Didn’t she state during her campaign for the City Council that she wanted to bring “real jobs” to Blue Springs? Why is she opposing a project that will achieve her own stated objective?

In the fall of 2009 Councilman Solon led a comprehensive plan review task force. Her task force’s recommendation to the council was to amend the comprehensive plan to establish a land use category for Missouri Innovation Park and recommended tracts of land, approximately 250 acres surrounding the Adams Pointe Golf Course, for that designation.

While claiming Monday that she had not received an update on MIP since May 2009, Councilman Solon apparently forgot her Sept. 16, 2009, council briefing prior to her recommendations that were adopted in October 2009. 

In the end, it was exciting to learn that the University of Missouri would be accelerating its entrance into our community by almost two years.

It should come as no surprise that the current economy has slowed capital investment in the project, but by coming to Blue Springs early, MU is demonstrating its commitment to the project and to its eventual success!

Missouri - February 22, 2010 - Calling aspiring business people! The Missouri Alliance for the Development of Entrepreneurship (MADE) is proud to present the 2010 MADE in Missouri State Entrepreneurship Competition, an event that will highlight new and aspiring businesses through a competitive and educational business development process.

The competition will provide new and potential business owners in Missouri an opportunity to put their business ideas up against others throughout the state. Participants start by answering a questionnaire about their business idea, and will be provided with tips and suggestions as to how to improve their businesses. Finalists will present their products and services at the Missouri State Fair on August 19, 2010, in Sedalia, Missouri, with cash prizes awarded for startup capital to the winners.

Registration is open to any potential business owner or current business owner in operation three years or less. There are Youth and Open categories for participation, and entrepreneurs considering going into business for the first time are welcomed. Participants do not have to be in business yet to compete.

Submissions for the preliminary level are due April 10, 2010. For more information and to register, go online to www.mvcaa.net/made.php, or contact:

Cheryl Zimny

Community Development Manager

Missouri Valley Community Action Agency

1415 S. Odell

Marshall, MO 65340

660-886-7476

zimnyc@mvcaa.net

The Missouri Alliance for the Development of Entrepreneurship (MADE) is a project facilitated by Missouri Valley Community Action Agency of Marshall, Missouri, a not-for-profit organization.

###

MADE

Missouri Valley Community Action Agency

1415 S. Odell, Marshall, MO 65340

660-886-7476; Fx: 660-886-5868

www.mvcaa.net/made.php

The Missouri Innovation Park, announced just more than one year ago, has received significant media attention. Excitement surrounding the development projects and the impact that they will have on our city abounds. However, the fine details are still forthcoming.

Innovation involves the deliberate application of information, imagination and initiative to generate new ideas. The Missouri Innovation Park will be a science and technology park for research and development, new products and services. The Mizzou Innovation Center, which will facilitate the collaborative efforts of University of Missouri professors and graduate students in the study and research of human and animal health technologies, will be the anchor tenant.

The remainder of the park would house facilities and businesses that will integrate well with the research and development of the university and will likely produce products for commercial sale, resulting from scientific and technological discoveries of the park. The potential for several thousand high-paying jobs coming to Blue Springs and the surrounding region is exciting and is only one component of the many benefits to our community that will come because of the park.

The Mizzou Innovation Center should begin development and construction in the coming months. The commitment our city leaders have made to the park, to the achievement of this goal which will raise the economic demographic of our community, will be validated.

As we embark on this extraordinary journey, no one knows exactly what the final result will be or how the finished product will appear. The details of the park continue to evolve, which is normal and appropriate for projects of this magnitude and scope. The result will lead to discoveries we cannot even imagine today. With innovation and discovery, the possibilities are limitless.

There is a lot of talk around town regarding the Missouri Innovation Park, a development that is sure to change the face of the future of Blue Springs. A “Show Me” attitude is part of the culture in Missouri, and some need to see dirt moving and buildings under construction to truly believe that the Innovation Park, bringing with it the desired growth of quality jobs, is a reality.

Community leaders in Blue Springs laid a path many years ago, putting in place the key components to support the development of the Innovation Park by establishing the vision for Adams Dairy Parkway. As that vision has evolved, we have seen the addition of retail and restaurants, which add another component necessary to the realization of the original vision for Adams Dairy Parkway.

Two and a half years ago, as the first details regarding the park began to emerge, Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation President Brien Starner and I had long conversations about the potential the park brought to our community. It was clear that the stars were aligning for success. A project of this type normally takes, on average, approximately five years to develop the support of all the various organizations necessary for success.

In this instance, the Missouri Innovation Park has the support of the City of Blue Springs, the University of Missouri, the Blue Springs School District, the Central Jackson Country Fire Protection District, the Blue Springs Economic Development Corp., the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the Kansas City Area Development Council, Jackson County, the Mid-Continent Public Library system, and many other entities in the region and state in just two short years.

This support by so many public and private organizations is vital to the success of the project and is a direct result of the passion and commitment of current and past mayors and councils, Brien Starner, and the Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation members.
Despite the current national economy, the project has continued to move forward. New legislation, referred to as “Jobs for the Future,” has been filed and would enable projects like the Missouri in Innovation Park not only for Blue Springs, but also for progressive communities all over Missouri. This legislation would allow cities more control over their own economic destiny, with the intent of attracting high-quality public and private jobs.

Our city now stands at a precipice of key decisions and actions. As citizens, we need to join with our elected leaders and the leaders of these supporting organizations to see the fulfillment of this vision for our city. In the coming weeks there will be announcements that will show visible progress and the beginning of construction of the Mizzou Innovation Center which will anchor the project and provide the intellectual property that will spur the creation of high-tech jobs in the park. The possibilities are endless, and I am excited to see this vision come to fruition.

The city is working diligently on the road improvements planned for Woods Chapel Road, and the work is progressing even though it is not yet visible.

Recently the city held a public meeting to provide information and answer questions regarding the current progress and details of the project proposed. Once planning and right-of-way acquisition is complete, utility relocation is scheduled to begin next fall and actual roadway construction is estimated to begin the summer of 2011. Completion of the project is anticipated in 2013. As the westernmost north-south corridor in Blue Springs, Woods Chapel Road improvements are long overdue and will be a welcome enhancement to this area of our community.  This information is available at http://www.bluespringsgov.com/woodschapel.

Wanda and I had the privilege of volunteering at five of the Ararat Shrine Circus shows this past weekend, and we, along with thousands of others, had the pleasure of attending the first two Missouri Mavericks hockey games at the new Independence Events Center. After tailgating with Happy Hour and the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce, we cheered the Mavericks on to their second home victory Saturday evening. What a beautiful facility!

Driving through Coronado Place and Adams Dairy Landing recently, the signs of new shopping and dining opportunities are impossible to miss. The Gap Generations store and Sally Beauty Supply will be open very soon. Chipotle, Mattress Firm and Game Stop are coming along nicely. Furniture Gallery has opened across from Wal-Mart, and the Olive Garden restaurant is beginning to take shape across from Home Depot, joining Texas Roadhouse as another full-service dining option.

Sales tax revenue from all of these projects is already having a positive impact on our city’s revenue. That will continue to improve as more people become aware of the new shopping and dining opportunities in Blue Springs. As these developments continue to attract new retail and restaurant tenants, our local buying choices expand. The success of these new businesses is critical to our community’s economic health, so remember to buy Blue Springs!

Along with all of these new retail opportunities, Missouri Innovation Park continues to be a bright star on the horizon. While this is a complicated project with many technical facets, the positive impact that thousands of new, high-paying, quality jobs will have on the future growth of our community and the region cannot be overestimated.

Progress on these developments will bring new opportunities, for many areas in our community, to consider in the coming months. Now is the time for our city leaders to have a vision beyond the individual projects and continue to have the flexibility to adjust as the market responds to our successes!

Major change takes time, and improvements to our city never seem to happen as quickly as we want. It’s been almost three years since the Blue Springs City Council approved the new downtown master plan, following an extensive period of public input from residents, business owners and city officials.

Revitalizing downtown Blue Springs has been a priority for many years, and this plan’s formal adoption was only the beginning. Almost immediately there was a flurry of activity with new housing. Other improvements include additional sidewalks, decorative lighting and road enhancements.

This week, County Executive Mike Sanders unveiled Jackson County’s plan to implement a regional commuter rail system. This is an important component to revitalizing Blue Springs’ downtown, providing connecting transportation to the metro area for employment and entertainment options.

The downtown plan calls for a transit station to serve commuter trains and existing buses, and to be a catalyst for new downtown businesses and the future development of additional housing. If the county is able to secure federal stimulus funds, the commuter system could be up and running in just two years. While the commuter rail is only one component of our master plan, the implementation of a regional system will facilitate progress toward the original timetable for the revitalization in downtown Blue Springs.

The choice to spend $1 billion in the current economic environment is not easy. But our transportation needs will not simply go away. As our communities continue to grow, the demands on our roads and highways grow as well. We must look for ways to expand our transportation options throughout the metro area and find the most fiscally responsible options available.

In spite of the divergent opinions on our City Council, our elected officials seek to make the improvements that we want to see happen in our city. I commend Mike Sanders for pursuing this vision, which will benefit the entire region and will assist our city in our efforts to continue the exciting improvements to our downtown. Much remains to be done and will take longer than any of us would like to wait, but the result will be significant improvements in our community.