Business View Magazine | October 2020

345 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2020 • Community Planning • Urban Design • Multimodal Transportation Planning & Engineering • Redevelopment www.kimley-horn.com/service/community-planning/ LARGO, FLOR IDA that had to temporarily close and may still have not recovered. Stricklin shares, “While we’re not a big tourist destination, we made a signature investment 25 years ago in Largo Central Park. It used to be the County fairgrounds and we remade it into a signature open space that houses our Performing Arts Center, our world-class library, and also a narrow gauge railway with rides for kids on a little train around Central Park. We use that as a regional draw. People recognize Largo as the place they bring their kids to Train Weekend. They love Central Park. Largo has also created an innovative Youth Advisory Council program with local high school students. The Commission felt strongly that we needed to involve young people in government. We take them to Tallahassee once a year and educate them on the state legislature. It’s a real bright spot working with these very intelligent teenagers and it gives you a lot of hope for the future.” Diagnostic Clinic, as well as the Largo Medical hospital. The City has good incentives for economic development in four opportunity zones, as well as a tax incentive program for investment in new buildings for job creation. “We have a really strong customer service philosophy,” says Stricklin. “We help with site selection for relocation to an existing building and facilitate entitlements and permitting through our economic development department. And we’ve been really successful with helping them get through the permitting and inspection process quickly so they could meet their deadlines.” In terms of COVID-19, the City Commission created a Business Assistance Program from the general fund to provide immediate cash grants to help small businesses with rent and commercial mortgage expenses; as the fallout from the pandemic becomes more apparent, the continuing focus will be on the small businesses Gulf Coast Consulting, Inc. Land Development Consulting Engineering | Planning | Transportation | Permitting We make your vision a reality 727-524-1818 www.gulfcoastconsultinginc.com 13825 ICOT Blvd. Suite 605, Largo, FL 33760