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Greetings!
Welcome to the first edition of eDevelopments, an email newsletter from the Great River Economic Development Foundation. You are receiving this eNewsletter because you are our friend, stakeholder and/or professional contact. As a part of our new long range plan, we have been charged with better communicating who we are and what we do. This eNewsletter is just one way we plan to do that.
Please know that we will work hard to keep our topics varied, relevant and fresh. They will run the gamut from transportation issues, business profiles and workforce development to entrepreneurship and quality of life issues.
I hope you enjoy the information we will be regularly sending, like our first topic about the tri-state highway network. But if at any time you would like your email to be removed from our mailing list, just follow the instructions at the bottom of this and every newsletter.
Feedback is very important to us, so please contact me at any time at gredf@gredf.org or 217.223.4313. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Jim Mentesti
President
Great River Economic Development Foundation |
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Transporation Improvements Equal Success for Region
Two regional transportation improvements were completed within the last two years - Avenue of the Saints in Missouri and Iowa and US 336 between Macomb and Quincy. One project is still underway - US 36 in Missouri - with its completion anticipated in July 2010. These and other key projects are the result of leadership from the Tri-State Development Summit, a 35-county "state of mind" including 14 counties in west central Illinois, eight counties in southeast Iowa and 13 counties in northeast Missouri.
To learn more about the Tri-State Development Summit, click here.
Why is an integrated transportation network important to our region?
The central location and major highway connections make the region a logical choice for manufacturers, distributors and  transportation companies. In addition to river, rail and air access, completion of the highway priorities would make the tri-state area a major intersection in the four-lane highway network. As illustrated on  the map, the "tri-state of mind" would have four-lane interstate connections to Bangor, Maine; New Orleans, Louisiana; San Diego, California; and Winnipeg, Canada. These connections make it convenient to ship raw materials and goods to and from the region.
What role does the Tri-State Summit play?
In just six and a half years (2003 to 2009) the Tri-State Summit with the Departments of Transportation in the several states worked to complete nearly 1,000 miles of regional highway projects, including work on seven US highway priorities. The Summit provides a collaborative approach to competing for funding, constructing and maintaining a transportation system that benefits the entire region. Did you know the "tri-state of mind" is larger in size than nine states, has a larger population than four states and the District of Columbia, has more US representatives than 20 states, and more US senators than any state? With numbers like these and their proven success rate, it's easy to believe the Summit's remaining 295 miles of priorities will come to fruition as soon as funding is available.
How does GREDF fit in?
GREDF assisted with the establishment of the Tri-State Summit in 1995 when the first meeting was held in Canton, Missouri at Culver- Stockton College. Today, GREDF acts as a facilitator for the Summit and contributes time and resources to continuing its mission in harmony with the University of Illinois Extension - Adams Brown Unit.
What still needs to be done?
Work still needs to take place on US 34 and other priorities set by the Tri-State Summit. We will continue to meet as a committee to move these projects forward. If you are interested in hearing the progress in person, there is a public meeting March 15, 2010 at the High School in Biggsville, Illinois regarding the status of US 34. | |
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March, 2010
Volume 1, Issue 1 |
Great River Economic Development Foundation
300 Civic Center Plaza
Suite 256
Quincy, IL 62301
p. 217.223.4313
f. 217.221.2030
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Did you know the "tri-state of mind" is larger in size than nine states, has a larger population than four states and the District of Columbia?
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