Economic alliance leader wants group to have a more “hands-on role”
Fort Wayne, Ind. (September 14, 2009) — As Cleveland’s director of economic development in the 1980s, he earned the nickname “No problem Andi” for helping revive a city whose image went up in smoke with the polluted Cuyahoga River in 1969.
Within two years of taking a similar job in Cincinnati, however, one developer dubbed him “Andi useless” for setting high goals – then allegedly failing to deliver.
Love him or hate him, Andis (“that’s Lithuanian,” he said) Udris is now in Fort Wayne, eager to tackle the city’s economic challenges and, in the process, reshape an 8-year-old organization whose effectiveness and direction have been questioned recently even by some of its staunchest supporters.
The Cleveland-born Udris, 54, who succeeded Rob Young as president of the Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance, is already sold on his new home: “It’s got a great quality of life, low cost of living, you can get anywhere in 20 minutes and the workforce has a high percentage of high school graduates,” he said. “But it doesn’t have a national image. When you mention ‘Fort Wayne,’ a picture doesn’t pop instantly into people’s minds.”
Udris hopes to correct that deficiency, but not by developing yet another marketing slogan. Remember “Room for Dreams,” unveiled with much hoopla two years ago? I didn’t think so.
To that end, Udris wants to expand the Alliance from a “one-stop” provider of economic information for prospective employers into a more “hands-on” role in the development of rail and other transportation facilities, downtown improvement, service to businesses, and, perhaps most important and challenging, the creation of a “shovel-ready” industrial land bank of 1,000 acres or more.
Although the county officials have been working on that very thing and have already pledged about $300,000, according to Mark Royse, deputy director of economic development, there’s little doubt the lack of large and quickly developable industrial sites has hindered the county’s job-creation efforts over the years. We have plenty of open land, but too few large tracts ready for fast development.
But assembling 1,000 acres, and equipping it with roads, water, sewer and other infrastructure, will require the help of not only the government, but the private sector as well – which is why Udris hopes to enlist foundations and other deep pockets in the causes. John Urbahns, director of community development, said the city supports the concept, “but we don’t know where the money will come from. We need to have a discussion as a community.”
Created in October 2000 with $200,000 each from Fort Wayne, Allen County and the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, the Alliance’s budget has increased to about $1.4 million. And, if Udris achieves his goals, the organization will grow even closer to its goal of consolidating the county’s economic development eggs in a single basket. For example, his goal of directly promoting downtown development would to some degree relieve the Downtown Improvement District of that role – a role Director Rich Davis has sought to expand in recent months.
Davis, however, said he welcomes an increased role for the Alliance. “We want to get Andi involved. He’s very downtown-focused, and that’s all to the good,” he said.
Udris, who held economic development jobs in Kansas City before coming to Fort Wayne, thinks a more-vibrant downtown, improved transportation and enhanced employment opportunities will help keep young college graduates in Fort Wayne – and attract those who have left, or never were here in the first place.
And, gradually, Fort Wayne’s manufacturing-heavy economic base will diversify, and the city will become known not as “America’s dumbest town,” as one magazine infamously named us, but as a city on the move.
It’s already happening, Udris said, which is one reason he was attracted to Fort Wayne. Recent downtown improvements, including the new Parkview Field, offer a chance to build on success instead of starting from scratch. It’s that kind of community cooperation that allowed him to succeed in Cleveland, Udris said – and why his later performance was at times questioned.
Since its inception, the Alliance claims to have helped retain nearly 19,000 jobs, create nearly 8,000 more and spur more than $867 million in investments. Udris said his effectiveness should be evaluated on the basis of the deals he can deliver.
Fair enough. My admittedly superficial assessment of Udris, a married father of three, is that he is up to the job. A self-described “Type B” personality as opposed to his more hard-charging “Type A” predecessor, Udris will need every ounce of calm, patience and diplomacy he can muster.
Source: The News-Sentinel