Mayor Canuteson echoes this, adding, “We are the most aggressive city on tax incentives in the area, and our aim is to be the most aggressive city for economic development in the region. We believe that we implement all the economic incentive tools that we can. But we want to grow smartly, and we do that for businesses that provide good jobs with good wages in targeted sectors.” RESIDENTIAL GROWTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE To accommodate its growing workforce, Liberty is focusing on residential development. One example is the Montage project, a master planned community set to bring 11,000 new residents to the city.“It is a twenty year build out, but that project alone would basically be a third of our existing population,” remarks Smith.This development will add residential options, from apartments to entry level and high end housing, as well as commercial space. “ It truly will check a lot of boxes for different demographics,” he adds. Another area of development is South Liberty Parkway, where much of the city’s industrial growth is happening. “We drew a hard line in the sand out there, basically to where it stops now. Anything to the east of that we’re really driving and pushing for residential development,” asserts Smith. With several projects underway and more coming forward all the time, he notes, “We created the jobs, took an aggressive approach on incentives and development, and we’ve fulfilled, and are continuing to fulfill that vision, and it is paying off dividends on the residential component.” Liberty’s dedication to quality of life is evident in the significant investments in parks, recreation and cultural spaces. “The types of people we want to attract to our community expect a vibrant cultural environment, a strong arts commission, a vibrant downtown square, off leash dog parks, a great trail system, nice restaurants, great venues to go and see entertainment,” illustrates Canuteson.“Those are all essential if you want to have a diverse community 115 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 02 LIBERTY, MO
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