Now is the time to change the Coast, business leaders told by experts. Here’s why.
They get that locals may not want South Mississippi to be like Austin or Chattanooga — cities with booming economies but traffic jams and other issues.
“We’re not critical of that perspective,” said Jon Roberts with TIP Strategies. He’s one of the consultants hired to suggest the best ways to invest billions in BP settlement funds on the Coast.
But, he told a crowd of 500 people Wednesday at IP Casino Resort, “This has to be you.”
It’s not that South Mississippi has to become Austin, he said. But the Coast needs to be more like these successful places with walkable downtowns and high-tech amenities unless residents want to see their children and grandchildren leave the Coast along with the talent drawn to that lifestyle.
He, John Karras and Jaclyn Le, all with TIP Strategies of Austin, Texas, presented their report of how developing mixed-use downtowns with free WiFi and other high-tech investment across South Mississippi could attract and keep younger workers.
The message was: this is the time to change course. “Unprecedented resources are going to be flowing to the Coast — nearly $2 billion over the next 15 years,” said Anthony Wilson, president of the Gulf Coast Business Council and CEO of Mississippi Power.
“It is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said.
The people of the Coast are looking for something big, something “transformative” from this windfall of funds, the speakers said. Residents and business leaders don’t want to look back in 15 years, Roberts said, and ask what happened to the money?
The strategy
The investment strategy suggested by TIP stands on “Three Pillars of Economic Opportunity.” They are:
▪ Foundational, such as a 5G cellular network and broadband, regional design standards and a vibrant airport
▪ Core Economic Development that uses regional marketing, targeted industry incentives and new events and festivals
▪ Transformational projects like an innovation district, center of excellence, venture investment fund and new visitor destinations to attract investment and talent.
The strategy is broken down into five “guiding principles” on which all decisions of how to spend the BP money should be based, they recommend. They are:
▪ Economic competitiveness
▪ Quality of place
▪ Regional collaboration
▪ Innovation
▪ Resilient infrastructure
A few shockers
Mississippi State Economist Darrin Webb said 2018 has been the best year for the state since the recession of 2008-09, and 2019 looks to finish about as strong.
Despite that, South Mississippi has suffered more economically than than the rest of the state, he said. The Coast had to overcome Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill in addition to the recession.
“You have under-performed the state. The state has under-performed the nation,” he said.
In other words, Roberts pointed out, South Mississippi is economically behind in a state that is one of the most economically challenged in the nation.
He also dispelled the local perception that the low cost of living in South Mississippi is a big plus for attracting new jobs and talent.
“It is almost a given for y’all that your affordability should be a draw,” he said. “I’m here to challenge that.”
Remote workers who can choose to live anywhere is the fastest growing sector of the workforce, said Karras. When looking at the top 100 most desirable cities in the country, places like Tampa and Austin are near the top, he said. In Mississippi, Jackson is right at bottom, he said, “and you are right along with them.”
He said the strategy now will be, “Taking some of your biggest challenges and turning them into opportunities.”
The consultants said they believe it is possible for South Mississippi to compete for talent, but cautioned the standard can’t be exclusively in the number of jobs created but the depth of the talent pool.
They also answered the “chicken and the egg” question for downtowns. Start by investing in housing and amenities downtown, they said, and millennials and business will follow.
What’s next?
“We’ve put our flag in the ground,” said Roberts after Wednesday’s presentation, and Ashley Edwards, president of the Business Council, said his organization is ready to pick it up and run.
“We can start to prioritize what needs to come first,” Edwards said. Through the end of this year, the council will set that framework, he said, look at what they can do immediately and begin partnering with other groups on some of the work.
The transformation to attract high-tech talent already started, he said. Among the projects recommended for the first round of funding for the BP dollars, the largest project is $32.5 million for USM’s Ocean Enterprise project at the state port.
Le said change is essential, a regional approach is required, and the BP settlement funds are best seen as investment opportunities rather than as a means for random projects.
Dave Dennis, owner of Specialty Contractors in Pass Christian, took notes during the presentation. His children are 35 and 36 and live in South Mississippi.
“They’re here by choice and I want to keep them here,” he said. Like other young professionals they are into performing arts, visual arts and quality of life, he said, which need to be developed to make South Mississippi attractive for those who to want to move to and stay on the Coast.
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Now is the time to change the Coast, business leaders told by experts. Here’s why.."
