Alliance - July 2008

July 2008 E-Newsletter

Levee Update: Upcoming Public Meetings
FEMA Region V will be holding open-house events in Madison and St. Clair counties at the end of July. The event in Madison County will take place on Wednesday, July 30 at Gateway Convention Center, One Gateway Drive, in Collinsville. An open house for the public will run from 4-8 PM in Center Hall B. The St. Clair County event will be held on the following day, Thursday, July 31, at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville. The public open house will run from 4-8 PM in the gymnasium. The Monroe County event will be held on Tuesday, July 29 at the Monroe County Annex Building. The public open house will run from 4-8 PM. Each open house will be preceded by a briefing for public officials in each jurisdiction. For more information, please visit www.swillinoislevees.com.

Levee Update: Blagojevich Signs Tax Bill
On Monday, June 23, Illinois Governor Rod Blogojevich signed into law a bill allowing Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties to create new flood prevention districts to collect a quarter-cent sales tax to generate funds for $180 million in required levee repairs. This legislation allows the counties to start spending funds immediately on levee repairs. The Alliance would like to thank all of the local officials who have worked so diligently to address this issue, including Madison County Board Chairman Alan Dunstan, Edwardsville Mayor Gary Niebur, Glen Carbon Mayor Robert Jackstadt, Senator William Haine, Congressman Jerry Costello, Representative Daniel Beiser, and Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois Executive Director Patrick McKeehan.

World Wide Technology to Locate in Lakeview Commerce Center
World Wide Technology recently contracted for a 700,000-square-foot facility in Edwardsville's Lakeview Commerce Center. The build-to-suit facility will bring Lakeview's building count to four, totaling 2.3 million square feet according to Lakeview's developer, Panattoni Development Company. Lakeview Commerce Center is a 700-acre industrial park located in an Enterprise Zone with several incentives available from the state of Illinois.

Thank You and Good Luck
The Alliance would like to extend its warmest thanks to a longtime friend. Earlier this year, Bob McClellan stepped aside as President and CEO of Hortica Insurance and Employee Benefits in Edwardsville. Bob has been an integral part of the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon community for many years, donating his time, energy and vision in countless ways. Specifically, Bob served as a member of the I-55 Corridor Plan Management Team, the Alliance’s Executive Council, and served as a member of the Alliance’s Strategic Planning and Opportunities Committee, and we are grateful for his lasting contribution to the community. The Alliance would like to wish Bob luck with all of his future endeavors.

The Advantage of Regionalism
Do you know what companies are working for the greater good of the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon community? Check out our investor page to see our current list of investors. The Edwardsville and Glen Carbon community’s economic health does not exist inside of a vacuum. Alliance investors come not only from Edwardsville and Glen Carbon, but from Belleville, Collinsville, Fairview Heights, Hamel, Highland, Maryville, O’Fallon, Swansea, and Wood River in Illinois, and from Clayton and St. Louis in Missouri. Our community thrives because we are connected to businesses throughout the St. Louis region who have exceptionally strong networking ties. The Alliance has received contributions from seven new investors so far in 2008, four of whom are located outside of Edwardsville and Glen Carbon. When doing business with an Alliance investor, inside or outside of the Ed-Glen community, make sure to thank them for their contribution to our community’s well-being.

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