The Pembroke Downtown Development Authority met at Pembroke City Hall on Thursday, Sept. 16, to discuss opportunity zone designation and more.
Seven members were present, along with representatives from the city and the development authority secretary Hannah DeLoach. The authority was honored to have guests from the North Bryan Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Center in attendance.
The group reviewed briefly and discussed the possibility of applying for opportunity zone designation for the downtown business district. Being designated as an opportunity zone by the Department of Community Affairs offers business owners incentives to locate in hard-to-develop areas. The authority agreed to apply for the designation.
Mary Warnell, chair of the North Bryan Chamber of Commerce, was in attendance along with Allen Volskay, Chair of the Shop Bryan First Committee, who briefed the board on the results of the Shop Bryan First survey.
One positive result of the survey was that the North Bryan Chamber, in a cooperative effort with the Small Business Development Center at Georgia Southern University, will offer training useful to business owners and their employees in the North Bryan area. The goal is to begin offering the training in early 2011.
Wendy Woodrum, a consultant with the Small Business Development Center, briefed the authority on several issues, including consulting, training and funding. The Small Business Development Center is open to assist for-profit enterprises.
The authority meets monthly. The next meeting is scheduled for 7 a.m. Oct. 21 at Pembroke City Hall in the conference room.
Seven members were present, along with representatives from the city and the development authority secretary Hannah DeLoach. The authority was honored to have guests from the North Bryan Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Center in attendance.
The group reviewed briefly and discussed the possibility of applying for opportunity zone designation for the downtown business district. Being designated as an opportunity zone by the Department of Community Affairs offers business owners incentives to locate in hard-to-develop areas. The authority agreed to apply for the designation.
Mary Warnell, chair of the North Bryan Chamber of Commerce, was in attendance along with Allen Volskay, Chair of the Shop Bryan First Committee, who briefed the board on the results of the Shop Bryan First survey.
One positive result of the survey was that the North Bryan Chamber, in a cooperative effort with the Small Business Development Center at Georgia Southern University, will offer training useful to business owners and their employees in the North Bryan area. The goal is to begin offering the training in early 2011.
Wendy Woodrum, a consultant with the Small Business Development Center, briefed the authority on several issues, including consulting, training and funding. The Small Business Development Center is open to assist for-profit enterprises.
The authority meets monthly. The next meeting is scheduled for 7 a.m. Oct. 21 at Pembroke City Hall in the conference room.