More than 150 participants attended the 2006 East and Southeast Fort Worth Economic Development Summit which aimed to highlight areas where the community could spur economic growth. This is the second Economic Development Summit hosted by Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26).

The East and Southeast Fort Worth Economic Development Summit, organized by the Public Forum Institute and hosted by honorary chairman U.S. Congressman Michael C. Burgess, was held to update the vision for the economic future of the region, and to review the set of recommendations to address a number of challenges facing local communities.

Building on last year’s summit, the summit asked local community members and parties committed to the redevelopment of the community, to present their thoughts and identify areas of concern that impact East and Southeast Fort Worth development. Later in the program, Congressman Michael Burgess called for a unified vision for East and Southeast Fort Worth that addressed economic development from the inside out.

“There is an incredible local drive for economic development in East and Southeast Fort Worth,” said Congressman Michael Burgess. “It is my job, as their representative in Congress, to provide the tools necessary to end the cycle of neglect; it is the communities’ responsibility to utilize those tools – it is a joint effort. We have made progress from last year’s summit, but I want to see more and expect to see more in the near future as we band together to revitalize the area.”

The event chaired by U.S. Representative Michael C. Burgess included remarks and presentations from Forth Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief and Commissioner Roy Brooks, and a keynote address by Roy O. Priest, Chairman, YouthBuild USA. Mr. Priest is former CEO of National Congress for Community Economic Development and Director for Community Development for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, DC (retired) with over 17 years experience with HUD in areas associated with community development.

The program covered various topics which included Building Communities & Changing Perceptions, Encouraging Entrepreneurship, Preparing the Workforce of the Future and Attracting Investment, both for residential and commercial development.

Overall, the format of the summit was a combination of presentations by community leaders, workshops, panel sessions, and an interactive technology – eFORUM – designed to collect instant feedback from summit participants and identify consensus on action steps and plans.

When asked which project do you believe will have the greatest impact on East and Southeast Fort Worth, the Evans/Rosedale project received 25% of the vote closely followed by the Oakbrook/Sierra Vista with 24%. When asked “what was the most significant roadblock to economic development in the region?” lack of cooperation, and access to early stage capital ranked first and second. In sighting the greatest asset of the area, proximity to major economic engines, like the medical district and Carter Industrial Park, and the affordability of commercial and residential properties ranked highest. The Berry/Riverside TIF (tax increment financing) was considered the best step forward in the last year for East and Southeast Fort Worth. The final question asked if holding the summit annual is helpful for redevelopment efforts and as a benchmark to progress, 84% of responders said yes.

A report will be published online to encourage and facilitate future action on the priorities agreed upon at the summit. On a regular basis, the working groups will meet, using the report to benchmark progress made on the four focus areas. The report will be available at the organization’s website – www.publicforuminstitute.org - at the end of the week.

"We are proud to continue our role as a convener of innovative ideas to spur economic growth in East and Southeast Fort Worth. With leadership from Congressman Burgess, along with City and County officials, the future of the region looks promising." If there is not a spot for this, don't worry about it.