Anthem examines plan to grow, aid business community

MARC BUCKHOUT ~ MANAGING EDITOR~ 1/25/2012

In efforts to strengthen Anthem’s business community, both in terms of supporting existing business and making the community more attractive for potential businesses, Anthem hired ESI Corporation to conduct an economic analysis of the Anthem area.
The analysis is being used to form an Economic Development Strategic Plan for the community.
“We wanted very specific numbers for Anthem recognizing that we’re unique,” Anthem Community Executive Officer Jenna Kollings said. “From this study we want to develop realistic attainable goals to help our businesses. The board realizes that we need to take the lead in this department as other entities aren’t racing up here to help our business community.”
On Jan. 18 representatives of ESI, who were hired late last year, offered some of their findings, some more surprising than others to a crowd of approximately 50 Anthem residents.
According to the analysis Anthem’s vacancy rate of 10 percent is below the Valley’s rate of 16 percent, but overall Anthem has too much space dedicated to retail based on its population figures of 25,000.
Amongst the challenges facing Anthem is the fact that 90 percent of residents leave the community to go their jobs, increasing the likelihood of residents buying products and paying for services outside the community.
There is also the question of Anthem’s business identity and what is supposed to draw non-residents to Anthem?
“How are you going to get people to drive north past Tramonto to shop,” ESI representative Julia Scalise asked. “Customers aren’t going to fly blind into the Anthem area. Right now people think of Anthem primarily as residential. When they do think of business they think of The Outlets.”
Another concern is the cost to rent space in Anthem being higher than in Tramonto.
Steve Champion, a Country Club resident, said he sees other issues.
“One of the things I don’t have a good understanding of is the effect of the community being split by I-17,” he said. “You have the west side in Phoenix with a business community that is struggling and then another situation on the east side, which has a large number of churches and schools, but not that many businesses. I’m struggling in what many look at as a bedroom community how we’re going to draw business. I see how bringing in medical makes sense and that secondary education would drive some jobs to the area, but overall I see this task as quite daunting. It almost seems like you need two plans, a west side plan and an east side plan.”
Anthem resident Bob Golembe asked whether it would be worth Anthem’s time to look at incorporating and becoming a city.
“There are big costs to put a government in place,” Scalise said. “You would have to expand the tax base. It would be spending quite a bit of money that you might not see back for a long time.”
Amongst the suggestions for Anthem was focusing on attracting higher education to the region as well as health care services.
While it might not be economically viable now ESI said the idea for a Market Street in Anthem that could be viewed as a centerpiece for a business district would be a big addition to the community.
In accessing some of the feedback from ESI, Anthem’s Economic Development and Marketing Committee has come up with an outline of some prioritized objectives.
The short list includes:
1. Implementing a business retention and expansion program.
2. Attracting a post secondary education institution and or classes to Anthem
3. Establishing a business identity for Anthem
4. Build and leverage collaborative relationship/partnerships to develop and deliver information, resources, projects and programs that support economic and community development.
The committee plans to present a flushed out plan for the Anthem Community Council to vote on at the February council meeting.
Country Club resident Roger Willis suggested that going after IT firms to bring high paying jobs to Anthem also would make sense.
Scalise agreed, but also reminded those in attendance that, “it’s far easier to keep the businesses you have than to attract new ones.”
Council member Ron Jerich said Anthem staff and the business community need to reach out to each other.
“There’s a perception that the business community isn’t really with it, that they aren’t together, but we need to come to the table with these people,” he said. “There are some good business minds out there, but I’m not sure we’ve communicated what is and isn’t available to them. They need to know there is a business bandwagon to get on.”