
[Download the Complete Plan]
Now the 15th largest city in the United States, Columbus itself is experiencing a renaissance in technology developments. Gahanna is helping to lead that charge by implementing plans to develop one of central Ohio's most fiber rich communities. With help from both the private and public sectors, Gahanna is developing high levels of fiber optic networks throughout the city. This new infrastructure will serve many major needs of the city. The backbones will allow Gahanna to be competitive in the telecommunications market. By offering more consumer choices and quality network access to technology driven industries, Gahanna is acting as the catalyst for local development.
First, TIDE has the goal of becoming a "bleeding edge" community with a diverse economic base by becoming the primary suburban community in providing development sites for attracting, retaining, and expanding technology based business developments. TIDE's second goal is to provide well-planned development opportunities that attract technology industries with significant growth potential and competitive wages. Thirdly, TIDE intends to develop a technology based expansion model (that may be replicated) to target market the strength of Gahanna.
TIDE will utilize the following strategies to accomplish it's goals:
- To partner with the existing technology community in order to access and
utilize their resources.
- To develop an economic development plan for a three-year target marketing
and communications strategic campaign that will focus on selected Gahanna development
sites that provide fiber rich infrastructures which meet the leading location
criteria for select high tech industries. This marketing campaign will be called
TIDE, Tech Industry Driven Expansion.
- To further research area technology clusters based upon preliminarily identified
Gahanna clusters, which includes Agri-Business, Agri-Biotechnology, and the
Associated Tertiary Businesses.
- To utilize leading location criteria per the tech clusters.
- To provide three appropriate Gahanna development sites for start-up, expanding,
and mature industries within the technology field. These TIDE sites will be
appropriately marketed as WAVES.
- To inventory and map existing telecommunications providers.
- To develop a comprehensive marketing campaign to attract targeted technology
industries over the next year.
- To establish a BUSINESS DESIGN CENTER as a central point for one of the designated
WAVE locations.
- To "Ride the TIDE" by implementing the principles of the three
year strategic plan.
- To utilize linked web sites to inform and attract businesses and talent.
- To gain recognition for the TIDE model in the Greater Columbus
market and replicate, as measured by the City of Gahanna.
Getting Involved
Download our complete plan
and then contact the City of Gahanna Department of Planning & Development at 614-342-4015. TIDE was designed and developed by Sadicka White, Jennifer Chrysler, William Murdock, Tobias Rittner, and Shawn Leininger for the City of Gahanna Department of Planning & Development.
(Last Updated in March 2008)
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