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Business and Government: A Workable Partnership
As the November election approaches we hear more attacks on government, and that government is the enemy of business. This is great election rhetoric, but from my experience it is not true. We live in Carver, MN a small city along the Minnesota River just west of Chaska. From 2001 to 2011 I served as the Mayor of Carver, and will relate some of my experience with government investment and business.
Carver was settled in the 1850’s and became an important city in the area because it was the limit of steamboat traffic on the Minnesota River. Over the years as other means of transportation became more important, Carver was left behind as the region grew. In 1990 Carver had a population of 744. In 2000 the population was1,266. In the 2010 census we counted 3,724. In the decade I was Mayor, Carver was one of the fastest growing cities in the State. I could tell you it was the good looking Mayor; however, the reality was the main connection to the metro: Highway 212, was improved from two-lanes to four-lanes between Eden Prairie and Carver. The new section of highway, which had been discussed for decades, resulted in a building boom in Carver as soon as the building plans were announced. Multiple years of double digit growth went by before housing crash, but Carver is still experiencing growth of close to 5 percent a year; the highest in Carver County.
The highway is only part of the story since both the City and the County also had to invest in its infrastructure to prepare for this influx of residential growth and down-the-road commercial investment. When we moved to Carver in 1997 the historic downtown was looking its age. The water was usually either reddish or beige. There was one well and a small water tower for storage. Some homes still had their own wells and septic systems. Carver had its own Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP), but with limited capacity. Some City roads were still unpaved.
The City invested in its water system, adding a water treatment plant, wells, and increased storage by 7.5 times. The result is an adequate supply of good clean water. The City is joining the Met Council waste water treatment system, and in a few years the WWTP will be history, resulting in increased capacity and lower rates. The historic downtown received a street facelift that resulted in many property owners also improving their homes and businesses. The outcome is an attractive historic downtown, which is inviting to both visitors and businesses.
Historically, Carver has lacked commercial property, with it making up less than 2 percent of the total City property value. Today Fleet Farm is building a store in the City along the new highway. This adds over 240,000 square feet of commercial space. Fleet Farm will be joined by other businesses as the economic recovery continues. The City and County are improving roads in the area improving access to Carver.
Carver is a good example of government making investments to infrastructure that creates an environment for private investment. Carver is not the exception: You often see private investment following government investment in infrastructure. We often see residential and business growth along transportation improvements like the light rail line in Minneapolis, the NorthStar rail in the northwest suburbs, or Highway 169 improvements in Shakopee. Government is the partner, not the enemy of business.
Posted in Economic Development | Related Topics: Economic Growth Roads & Highways Transportation Funding