In a unanimous vote, the Long Beach City Council approved the City’s Draft Blueprint for Economic Development, an economic development guide for the next 10 years, during Tuesday’s weekly city council meeting.

At the request of Mayor Robert Garcia and city council, the Economic Development Commission, an advisory group to the city council, worked with the Economic and Property Development Department to draft the blueprint, which prioritizes the creation of businesses, well-paying jobs and economic inclusion for all Long Beach residents.

“The Draft Blueprint is intended as a call-to-action for additional research, community engagement, and dialogue, in order to define more specific strategies, policies and programs for economic advancement opportunities throughout our city,” Randal Hernandez, chairman of the Economic Development Commission, said in a statement.

The blueprint focuses on policy recommendations for broad areas including, workforce development, businesses assistance, economic inclusion, the development environment and key industry clusters and emerging sectors.

To create the Draft Blueprint, the Economic Development Commission and the Economic and Property Development Department gathered city data at public study sessions, held meetings with focus groups and conducted interviews with stakeholders.

“Our Long Beach economy is booming and this blueprint will advance our city’s efforts to grow a stronger economy over the next decade while supporting entrepreneurship, workforce development and a 21st century city,” Garcia said in a statement.

Next, city staff will work with the Economic Development Commission and community partners to create a working plan that will detail specific activities, cost estimates and identify resources needed to implement the blueprint.

The Draft Blueprint is the first step in ensuring Long Beach continues to build a community that supports entrepreneurship, workforce development and a diverse economy, Garcia said.

Photo courtesy of City of Long Beach.