David's Blog

The Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a luncheon event to release research findings regarding the economic impact Independent School District 709’s Long Range Facilities Plan will have on the region. More than 160 interested community members gathered in the lower level ballroom of the Radisson Hotel to learn how the school district’s plan will affect the local economy in terms of job creation and dollars generated.

Motivated by the belief that residents of our beloved community would benefit from fully understanding the comprehensive impact of the Facilities Plan, the Chamber’s leadership funded the research and hosted the community gathering. We were excited to engage the services of the Labovitz School of Business and Economics – Bureau of Business and Economic Research, a highly regarded research organization, to provide members of our community unbiased information regarding this controversial initiative.

We were delighted when the Bureau’s research clearly illustrated the specific impact the Facilities Plan has had and will continue to have on Duluth and the surrounding region. Those in attendance learned that the Facilities Plan will, from its outset in 2008 until its conclusion in 2012, provide work for up to 1,600 people and have a $442 million economic impact within our region. After providing a detailed description of where the jobs will occur and where the dollars will be generated, Jim Skurla, the Bureau’s director, stated, “After studying the many economic ramifications, it’s clear that the timing of the Facilities Plan could not have been better for our region. This project has become our local stimulus package for the construction, real estate and many other industries.”

For too long, misinformation about the Facilities Plan has been swirling around our Emerald City on the Hill. The Chamber is pleased and proud to be a positive force in putting an end to the speculation and misinformation by providing community members with unbiased, objective and thoroughly researched information. The research results are available on the Chamber’s website at www.duluthchamber.com. You can download the entire report or a summary press release of the report.