Bulverde Spring Branch Economic Development Foundation

Programs: Throughout the year, the foundation continued to actively support the city of bulverde in implementation of planning processes such as downtown bulverde village vision, transportation improvements, an interconnected wastewater treatment system, and continued to help facilitate efforts implement a downtown bulverde visioning study. The foundation continued to work with local property owners and businesses to encourage them to take a lead and make additional investments in their property or consider engaging in joint ventures with angel investors and other investors to fund the necessary improvements. The foundation facilitated meeting with several downtown bulverde merchants and the university of san antonio small business development center to work on marketing strategies and business plans to help drive more foot traffic to the area. In addition, the foundation continued to assist in facilitating discussions regarding transportation funding possibilities for highway 46 with local, county, regional and state organizations. The foundation continued to keep up-to-date on region l water planning process/issues by attending quarterly meetings, viewing quarterly meeting agendas, minutes, etc. The region l water plan was submitted to the state in december for inclusion in the states overall water plan. The foundations spring job fair in march was another successful event and included 16 participating employers and 153 job seekers. The foundation initiated its very first community job fair in may of 2015, where 25 employers and 318 job seekers participated. In august, the foundation held a job fair specifically for walmart where 87 applicants signed in. In november, the foundation held another job fair where 12 employers and 116 job seekers participated. To date the foundation has been able to assist in helping to fill 240 positions at walmart, 74 at whataburger, 60 at popeyes and a handful of other positions across our area. The president of the foundation actively works with the chamber of commerce as a voting board member and member of the governmental affairs council to discuss issues of concern with governmental processes, and attends governmental meetings to show support for projects. Efforts continue in pursuit of multifamily developer to provide some kind of workforce housing for our young single professionals and/or area service providers such as police, fire, emergency medical service, and teachers. The foundation continues to develop effective communications with the public about the importance and focus of managed economic development including submitting articles for front porch news when there is significant information to share with the public, posting content on the foundations facebook page, and continuing to work with the media on getting positive media coverage for our area, both proactive and reactive. The foundation has established a targeted business attraction program which articulates the bulverde/spring branch advantage for business. Target industries include medical and health care, senior citizen services, restaurants, appropriate retail, high quality, high wage, non-water intensive companies and to actively recruit community college, vocational tech, and skills training. The foundation has been instrumental in bringing a 84+ room hotel to singing hills. As specialists in hotel development and management projects throughout the u. S. , the developer of the project has earned a national reputation of excellence and dependability with an impressive track record of successfully developing and managing over $400 million in successful real estate projects. The foundation also negotiated a lease between the hotel developer and the city of bulverde for a much needed 5,300 square foot visitors and events center. The foundation was also instrumental in securing a committment to bring the communities first free standing emergency room which will begin operations during the first half of 2017. The foundation, its board of directors, and entire membership are committed to aggressively pursuing new clean industry, retail, and service businesses to foster economic development in the counties served.