Delaware County has released its new five-year Economic Development Strategic Plan. At a special event Monday, Economic Development Director Monica Conners rolled out the full plan for community stakeholders who participated in its creation. The event was sponsored by One Columbus and Jobs Ohio.

“It had been more than five years since we had commissioned such a study and plan,” Conners said. “Now that we are living in a post-pandemic world, we can look ahead and focus on the immense opportunity in Ohio. We have significant investments occurring in the region with Intel, Honda and the LGES/Honda EV Battery Plant all moving forward. Our economic development strategy will help us be prepared to compete for suppliers and new advanced manufacturing opportunities. The timing is perfect to rewrite our understanding of Delaware County’s unique assets and needs and to create a roadmap to our economic future.”

The international consulting firm of AECOM worked with Conners and her team to develop the plan, tapping AECOM staff who have worked on similar studies in high-growth, high-opportunity parts of North America.

“Having a firm that understands a County with both rural and suburban identities and agriculture and industry coexisting together, was important,” Conners added.

More than 70 people gathered at the county’s newly opened Byxbe Building for the presentation from Conners and AECOM Vice President of Economic Development and Planning Chris Brewer. Matt McCollister from One Columbus also spoke about the importance of economic development strategic planning. Among the event attendees were township and municipal officials, local business owners, educators, utility providers, and area developers.

In addition to a comprehensive analysis of the business and economic climate in Delaware County, the plan presents five “pillar strategies” as well as action items to pursue. Among these are increased investment in agricultural technology and innovation; site preparedness and the alignment of future infrastructure projects with “growth corridors” that have been identified throughout the county; integration of efforts to promote tourism and grow the county’s recreational assets; and the development of policies that will widen the county’s range of housing options.

The Economic Development Department is part of the Delaware County Commissioners’ Office. The plan is available for downloading at https://economicdevelopment.co.delaware.oh.us/edsp.

For more information about Delaware County’s Economic Development Department, visit https://economicdevelopment.co.delaware.oh.us/.

Submitted by Delaware County.