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<br /> <br />DRAFT FEBRUARY 7, 2012 <br />could include Adobe PDF fillable application forms, expanded GIS data <br />(e.g., locations and size of public infrastructure), etc. <br />5)Consider surveying applicants once the development process is complete <br />to determine and quantify overall satisfaction with the department and <br />processes, and to gather feedback on suggested improvements. <br /> <br />Focus Area 3 –Expanded opportunities for higher quality <br />industrial operations within City limits and the ETJ. <br /> <br />La Porte is an industrial City. It is located just 25 miles from Downtown <br />Houston and is located directly between the Barbours Cut and Bayport <br />Container Terminals of the Port of Houston. The City’s quick and easy access <br />to the north/south Interstate 45 corridor and the east/west Interstate 10 <br />corridor is further served by more than 130 trucking lines providing routes to <br />all of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Union Pacific and BNSF <br />railroads, with rail hubs in Houston and other Texas cities, serve thousands <br />12 <br />of miles of track and all Gulf Ports.Combine this with the fact that the Port <br />of Houston is expected to increase its freight tonnage by 42 million tons by <br />2035 (with an overall expected increase of 45 percent for the region’s freight <br />13 <br />tonnage); La Porte is well-positioned to be an ideal location for businesses <br />in warehousing and manufacturing industries. It is precisely this reason why <br />the City must maintain its focus on industrial economic development <br />activities. <br /> <br />With this being said, the U.S. manufacturing industry continues a <br />transformation that has profound effects on the practice of economic <br />development. It is forcing us to rethink what we mean by a primary job, how <br />we measure economic impact, and how we design incentives. This is due, in <br />large part, because manufacturing employment continues to decline. It is not <br />overstatement that an economic strategy built solely around manufacturing <br />jobs may be destined for failure. <br /> <br />For this reason, it is recommended to direct economic development efforts <br />to a few key target industries that are complimentary to the City’s existing <br />industrial base. These target industries were identified by the Gulf Coast <br />Economic Development District (GCEDD) as being favorable for local <br />economic conditions: <br />Biomedical/Biotechnical; <br />Chemical & Chemical Based Products; <br />Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing; and, <br /> <br />12 <br /> City of La Porte Economic Development website. <br />13 <br /> H-GAC Regional Goods Movement Study –Final Report. Dec. 2011. <br />5.14 <br /> <br />Chapter 5 <br /> <br />