Mayor Nutter's Budget Update | Creating Jobs & Economic Opportunity

The Deputy Mayor for Planning, Economic Development, and Director of Commerce is responsible for the oversight of all planning, business permitting, real estate, housing, workforce and other economic development functions of city government.

This role, for the first time, aligns the activities of these agencies under a single vision, mission and implementation plan. Departments and agencies under the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development’s oversight include: Commerce, Licenses and Inspections (L&I), Planning Commission, Historical Commission, Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD), Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC), Redevelopment Authority (RDA), Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation (PCDC), Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation (PWDC) and Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board (PWIB).

Introduction

The Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development leads the development of a comprehensive and integrated economic development, neighborhood revitalization, physical development and workforce development strategy. This integrated approach provides clarity to the private sector and to the public at large on City economic development goals and strategy.

This integrated role includes coordinating the budgets and resources of all organizations within the economic development cluster to ensure alignment of priorities, consistent internal and external communications, and a coherent economic development budget and work program.

In addition, the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development chairs the Planning Commission and other committees, such as Development Cabinet and the Developer Services Program, as necessary to coordinate interdepartmental policy and manage the timely completion of major projects.

Creating Jobs and Economic Opportunity

The goal of the economic development cluster is to create jobs and grow a competitive, world-class City of Philadelphia. The Administration must do this by addressing the fundamental structural economic challenges that have caused city population and job losses. The unique opportunity provided by the federal recovery package will enable the City to substantially initiate these activities in FY10.

Engaging with Stakeholders

At the same time, the City is working closely with Philadelphia’s economic development stakeholders to focus efforts on targeting limited City funds that leverage private investment, building on the strength of existing assets and industry sectors, and growth sectors such as the green economy. The department has several initiatives planned for FY10 that will help us accomplish these goals.

Goal 1: Make Philadelphia a competitive place to start or locate a business by creating a consistent, accountable, customer-friendly regulatory environment and reducing uncompetitive tax impacts.

Provide quality business services and information by creating the Office of Business Services, including development of a comprehensive business website
Create a streamlined, customer friendly development and permitting processes, including development process improvements, customer service training, and a multi-agency
Initiate the new City-wide Comprehensive Plan as a lon grange guide to the City’s development, and begin zoning code reform
Create a Design Review Board to provide a forum for citizens, developers and the Planning Commission to apply principles of design excellence to the public realm for qualifying large development projects
Create incentives for green development

Goal 2: Put more people in jobs by growing the number of jobs offered in the city and improving workforce development programs to give Philadelphians the skills to meet growing sectors’ needs.

Support strategic sectors, including education, health care, hospitality, green and other growth industries by expediting institutional capital expansion plans, connecting growth sectors through transit investment, and spurring innovation through laboratory, incubator and advanced manufacturing facilities
Through the new offices of Economic Opportunity and Business Services, promote entrepreneurship and small business development, particularly for Minority/Women/ Disabled Business Enterprises (MWDBEs), with a coordinated small business intermediary strategy and entrepreneur network with technical assistance providers, Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), and micro-lenders
Expand business attraction efforts by developing a comprehensive Philadelphia marketing program and package that complements existing regional and state business attraction initiatives
Improve workforce development system performance and coordination, particularly through entry-level growth industries with access for unskilled workers and ex-offenders, such as new federal recovery-funded weatherization programs

Goal 3: Invest in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods to create strong, stable housing markets and offer a better quality of life.

Increase resources for market rate and affordable housing development through strategic investment of federal recovery funds, Housing Trust Fund resources, matching grants for employer-assisted housing, and continuing the 10-year tax abatement
Target investments through Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), rezoning, site-specific RFPs, and large site preparation, including packaging development incentives
Minimize foreclosures and their impacts through implementation of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) and continuation of the Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program
Facilitate timely development of City-owned property including development of a policy for land disposition across agencies, appropriate interim uses, and aggressive disposition of marketable parcels for redevelopment purposes
Create a coordinated inter-agency neighborhood strategy to drive infrastructure, housing, commercial corridor, greening and policy integration

Goal 4: Improve key regional assets to be more attractive to residents, workers and visitors.

Continue strategic Center City investments including the Convention Center Hospitality District and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Redevelop the Delaware and Schuylkill waterfronts including planning, zoning, public trails and open space development
Support Centennial District improvements, expanding connections between the park and adjacent neighborhoods

Finding Efficiencies and Revenue Enhancements

The agencies under the oversight of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development have achieved budget reductions through a variety of measures:

Elimination of vacancies, hiring freezes, reduction of consultant fees and overtime: Departments reduced overall staffing levels, including a significant reduction of overtime at L&I
Consolidation of administrative functions: Shared support functions among smaller departments, such as joint Geographic Information Systems (GIS) services between Commerce and the Planning Commission
Integration of programmatic functions: Better integrated program delivery, including commercial corridor, lending and technical assistance functions between Commerce, OEO, PCDC and PIDC
Revenue enhancements: Increased business and development permitting and licensing fees
Technology efficiencies: Introduction of on-line information and services, such as development of the business services web portal and scanned on-line zoning files