We are seeing a new era of economic development where regions play a much larger role. Vibrant metropolitan areas are attracting workers from across the country and companies are following close behind. To stay competitive, economic development models have to think about improving the quality of life area-wide, not just for single municipalities.
In our region, we have the Centralina Economic Development District (EDD) to lead and coordinate economic development strategic planning and action plan implementation.
Economic development districts are multi-jurisdictional entities designated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). They’re designed to establish a foundation for sustainable job growth and to lead regionally-driven economic development. The Centralina EDD serves all nine counties–including Anson, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly and Union–and is staffed and housed within Centralina Regional Council.