Economic Development is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
The BDC was pleased to see the most recent announcement by Ford Motor Company of their investment in the LaPlaisance Road Corridor in Monroe Township. Interestingly enough, the work to land such a project began several years earlier when working with the township, and a sub area plan for the corridor was devised that would welcome developments such as the one Ford will be building.
With the sub area plan in place, we began marketing the corridor to potential end users, site consultants and developers. During this time, we also worked with the City of Monroe and Monroe Township to see if there may be synergies in working together on the development area. Although that did not materialize, we were able to attract a developer (InSite Real Estate) to consider the corridor. We anticipated a project on the east side of LaPlaisance Road but when the golf course was offered for sale, InSite secured options in hopes of landing a potential customer for the site. In working with the township and the other businesses located along the corridor, InSite was able to produce a workable site plan that would eventually land them the Ford project.
So, the recent announcement, which will not be reality until two years from now, was in the works for over five years as a team of dedicated folks worked to bring this large investment and job creator to Monroe County.
