Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2024 CALL TO ORDER The Columbia Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee conducted a meeting on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at City Hall (Mayor’s Conference Room), Second Floor, 1737 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201. The Honorable Peter M. Brown, Chair called the meeting to order at 3:01 p.m. and the following members were present: Attendee Name Title Status Peter M. Brown Chair Present Will Brennan Member Present Aditi Bussells Member Present ADOPTION OF AGENDA Upon a motion made by Mr. Brennan and seconded by Dr. Bussells, the Committee voted unanimously to adopt the agenda subject to adding Executive Session for the discussion of matters relating to the proposed location, expansion, or provision of services encouraging location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body pursuant to S.C. Code §30-4-70(a)(5) - 2725 Main Street. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approval of the August 13, 2024 and September 24, 2024 Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee Meeting Minutes. Upon a motion made by Dr. Bussells and seconded by Mr. Brennan, the committee voted unanimously to approve the August 13, 2024 and September 24, 2024 Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee Meeting Minutes. PRESENTATIONS 2. Reaching Riverbanks Community Mobility Plan - Mr. Kevin Bacon, AIA, AICP, Director of Urban Design, Southern US, Toole Design – Received as information. Mr. Kevin Bacon, AIA, AICP, Director of Urban Design at Toole Design explained the work behind a comprehensive study of the Broad River, Saluda River, and the Earlewood area, which has significant growth potential. The project, set for Page 1 of 3  ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2024 finalization in Fall 2024, aims to proactively address future development in a region with limited available land. He emphasized the need for alignment between city and county land use, focusing on an integrated mobility system and previous planning efforts. The goal is to create an inclusive environment that celebrates the area's natural beauty while outlining a framework for public spaces, greenway options, and improved neighborhood connectivity. There was discussion about identifying and connecting smaller projects; strategic deployment of funds; necessity of infrastructure; organizing the neighborhoods; and the interface between land use and transportation. Councilor Brown asked for a review of the charrette responses to the plan. Councilor Brennan suggested Greystone Boulevard as a catalyst project. Ms. Leigh DeForth, AICP, Senior Planner/Comprehensive Planner explained that the next steps involve requesting the adoption of the area plans. We utilize the plans to provide you and the boards and commissions with feedback on what the public planning process has recommended. 3. Shaw Circle's Southeast Innovation Tour Report - Mr. Jordan Fowler, Chief Executive Officer – Received as information. Mr. Jordan Fowler, Chief Executive Officer said while there are a lot of cities with robust ecosystems, Columbia has all of the pieces that it needs to be successful in quantum and in a broader entrepreneurship and innovation niche. The road show helped us identify what’s working for cities and what more Columbia can do. Mr. Ryan Henry, Chief Operating Officer categorized the team’s efforts into short- term and long-term impacts. In the short term, we focused on learning and promoting Columbia by leveraging both our company and personal social media platforms, which generated 19,000 impressions on our company page and 50,000 across personal accounts. We met with 30 key individuals who could potentially transform our tech ecosystem and influence the city’s trajectory. We came back with an idea of how the most established incubators curate talent. Mr. Carter Burns, Co-Chief Information Officer shared the tour stops: Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Florida. Page 2 of 3  ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2024 They collectively spoke about fostering entrepreneurship in Columbia by uniting ambitious students from various fields through multidisciplinary capstone projects and mentorship programs. They emphasized the need for a cohesive entrepreneurial culture, discussed successful models from other cities, and proposed a strategic focus on quantum computing as a potential growth area. Collaboration among local universities was highlighted as essential for creating a supportive ecosystem, alongside the need for a unified brand to market these initiatives effectively. There was discussion about leveraging institutional capital; incubators; culture building; quantum and machine learning; industry crossover; innovation approach; and company retention. Councilor Will Brennan left the meeting at 4:30. Councilor Brown suggested coming up with a public private partnership and connecting with the work being done at the Launch Pad through the University of Georgia. Mayor Rickenmann suggested following up and exploring what Tulsa is doing. EXECUTIVE SESSION Upon a motion made by Dr. Bussells and seconded by Mr. Brown, the Committee entered into Executive Session at 4:33 p.m. for discussion of matters relating to the proposed location, expansion, or provision of services encouraging location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body pursuant to S.C. Code §30-4-70(a)(5) - 2725 Main Street. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 4:46 p.m. Respectfully submitted: Erika D. Moore Hammond, CMC City Clerk Page 3 of 3