The Big 5: A Pathway to Progress
RESULTS
Over the last eight months, The Chamber, Gadsden/Etowah County and volunteers have conducted visioning sessions with members of the Etowah County community. The goal throughout The Big 5 process has been to identify the sectors and issues our community considers to be most important in moving our community forward. The top five sectors identified in phase one are:
In phase two, ideas generated in phase one were prioritized by community members. The top five issues for each sector as determined by the prioritization survey are listed below.
The next phase of The Big Five process will be to identify actions that can be taken on each of these areas and to work toward seeing these ideas come to fruition. Everyone in the Etowah County community has the opportunity to provide a voice in this process. We want your help in making these ideas a reality. For more information on how to participate in the next phase of The Big Five, contact The Chamber at 256-543-3472 or email
Heather New.
GOVERNMENT
- Comprehensive and inclusive strategic 5-year, 10-year and 20-year plan that includes county and all municipalities, along with community forums/input
- 759 completion
- Progressive political leadership with better cooperation between all levels of local government
- Community input on public development and facilities that would include clean up and repair sidewalks, river banks, streets
- State lottery
BUSINESS
- Privately-owned riverfront development that includes hotel, entertainment/meeting center, strip mall that faces the river that has restaurants, pubs, ice cream shop, tackle & bait, condos/loft apartments, all adjoined by a concrete boardwalk that also provides riverside outdoor seating, as well as boat-up slips
- More entertainment and fine dining
- More diversified industry with focus on technology sector that would feed Huntsville area
- GIG internet service with upload/download GIG speeds, investment in fiber infrastructure that would provide more opportunities to recruit technical jobs and industry
- Entrepreneurial center/incubator
CULTURE/QUALITY OF LIFE
- Major soup kitchen for homeless, more coordination of homelessness services to fill the gaps and reduce duplication
- Reduce crime through increased law enforcement funding, pay, mental health training, and partnerships and access to information from mental health facilities
- Increased funding for mental health to expand staff, services and facilities, especially an acute care facility, in the county
- At-risk youth mentor programs, grow Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the county
- Rape crisis center, non-faith based sex education, domestic violence shelter
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT/EDUCATION
- Focused recruitment on tech sector jobs that coincides with GIG infrastructure installation, possibly feeding Huntsville tech giants
- Recruit industry and jobs with a high level of young professional population and high wages
- Financial planning, budgeting, tax preparation, credit building, etc. in middle and high schools
- New career tech school possibly to serve the entire county that is state-of-the-art, equipped specifically to industry needs in our area and with optimum room for growth and expansion
- Recruit industry to spur population growth
RECREATION/TOURISM
- More restaurants on riverfront, all connected by a concrete riverwalk with space for outdoor seating
- Convention center and hotel on riverfront
- Outfitter on Coosa River with kayak, canoe, paddle boards, paddle boats, jet skis, pontoons rentals, boat taxi and/or river boat or catamaran with dinner party/color cruises
- Mega sports complex that hosts tournaments, competitions, concerts, etc. and pulls in tourism but also offers amenities to residents
- Entertainment and cultural center that includes dinner-style comedy club, possibly redeveloping the abandoned Gadsden movie theatre
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