Saratoga County, New York

            After taking into account all of the benefits portrayed by these areas, I have decided to accept the position of economic development director for Saratoga County, New York. While there are many positive features to Saratoga County, I still want to take the time to highlight some I find of particular importance. Saratoga County boasts a highly educated workforce and the presence of institutions of higher learning that look continue this trend in the future. Saratoga County is now welcoming back the high tech industry, which is incredibly important as innovation becomes a means of continuing economic growth and stability. I also find it important to highlight some reasons that already make Saratoga County an attractive place for businesses. Some of these examples include outstanding infrastructure, proximity to major markets and capital, and available space for expansion. One must also not forget that already existing businesses (e.g. GE, IBM, GlobalFounders, etc) will serve as examples of success and entice more businesses to an already booming economy. One factor that may go unnoticed, but is undeniably prominent is the presence of good schools. From an earlier reading, I recall that family considerations are a major deciding point in an individual’s relocation and good schools for their children are near the top of the list. Saratoga County’s outstanding healthcare, culture, and changing of the seasons are additional factors that will work to draw people to the area. (Saratoga County, New York - Saratoga Economic Development Corporation)

            With all of its great features, Saratoga County is an ideal place for business. While it may be hard to imagine that there could be any improvements made to this community, I have one suggestion that could work to further prosper the area. I firmly believe that a world-class conference center is exactly what is needed in this community. The features of the area are so outstanding that once a prospective business is able to visit and see this environment in action, it will be near impossible for them to reject joining such a thriving atmosphere. As was pointed out in lecture, conference centers are one investment that have positive returns for the city. A great example was Tempe’s ability to court Google after the executives were able to come and see the wonders of the city (Lecture 2/2) . Our reading on economic development for this week points out that conference centers are still being built, even in a flooded market. This previous fact speaks volumes to the ability of conference centers to attract people to a location and Saratoga’s vast culture and unique seasonal activities (i.e. beautiful fall colors, winter and summer recreational opportunities) will turn the individual’s next visit into a family vacation.

            The last area that I wanted to discuss was the possible acceptance of a Hope VI grant for Saratoga County. After further review and the viewing of a documentary on the subject of Hope VI grants, I have made the difficult decision to reject the idea of a Hope VI grant for our community. This is a final decision which comes after much time and thoughtful consideration. My main piece of evidence for this decision came from the aforementioned documentary, History of Henson Village, Phoenix. While this video discusses in detail the past success of the Henson Village Project, I find myself focusing on the dominant aspect racial segregation portrayed in the video. This is not to say that I am not support of affordable housing because the reading on housing policy does suggest a correlation between affordable housing and employment growth. I would simply like to explore looking into a more progressive approach to affordable housing that embraces diversity. It is time to look past the idea of affordable housing in project form and instead look to incorporate these individuals into greater society. With all of the modernity and amenities that Saratoga County has to offer, our best opportunity to continue learning and innovation may very well come from the lessons that we can learn from each other. If I were to encourage the Hope VI grant, I would effectively continue to alienate groups from the whole. Rather, I suggest a possible re-working of the voucher system to spread these individuals throughout the area, ultimately giving them what I believe to be their and the cities best opportunity for success.