Economic Development Strategic Plan

Transcription

MARCH 2012
Economic Development Strategic Plan
Prepared for the City of Waxahachie,
Texas
th
106 East 6 Street, Suite 550 | Austin, Texas 78701 | 512.343.9113 | www.tipstrategies.com
Waxahachie, TX
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TIP Strategies would like to thank the many individuals who participated in the development of this plan. We are particularly grateful to the business representatives
who generously gave their time and input. Their knowledge and expertise contributed greatly to our understanding of Waxahachie and our recommendations. We
would also like to thank the Waxahachie City Council as well Project Steering Committee for their critical guidance, support, and feedback.
Waxahachie City Council
TIP Project Team
N. B. "Buck" Jordan, Mayor
John Wray, Mayor Pro Tem
Chuck Beatty
Mark Singleton
Kevin Strength
Jon Roberts, Managing Director
Alex Cooke, Project Director
Project Steering Committee
George M. (Mike) Ramsey, Chair
Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce
Tres Blankenbeckler
Owner, Carlisle Chevrolet Cadillac
Dr. Kermit Bridges
President, SAGU
Marvin E. (Mark) Singleton
President/CEO, Citizens National Bank of Texas
Steven F. Chapman
Attorney
Thomas J. Collins
Superintendent of Waxahachie ISD
Kevin Strength
President, Pediatric Health Care
Bobby Dyess
Attorney
Jay Fox
President, Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie
Debra Wakeland, President/CEO
Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce
Jeff Frazier
Chairman/CEO, Vintage Bank
Paul Hernandez
Area Manager, Oncor Electric Delivery
Paul K. Stevens
City Manager
Bob Lynn
CEO, M2Marketing
Dr. Kenneth Martin
President, Navarro College Waxahachie
Michael Scott
Assistant City Manager
Leslie and John Majors
Owners, Re/Max Realty Group
Dr. Mackey Morgan
Dentist
Doug Barnes
Director of Economic Development
Dan E. Morton
Senior VP, First State Bank Waxahachie
Jim Pitts
Attorney and State Representative District 10
Clyde Melick
Director of Planning
Ali Sharaf
President/CEO, Victron Energy, Inc.
Judge Carol Bush (Advisory Member)
Ellis County Judge
TIP Strategies, Inc.
Theory Into Practice
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Waxahachie, TX
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ I
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... II
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
1.
HEALTHCARE & HIGHER EDUCATION..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
2.
LAND DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17
3.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY & TOOLS ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 21
4.
MARKETING & IMAGE .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 27
5.
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 32
IMPLEMENTATION .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
PERFORMANCE MEASURES ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 51
APPENDIX A: ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 52
APPENDIX B: TARGET INDUSTRIES ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 81
APPENDIX C: CONSIDERATIONS FOR FUTURE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL PARKS ............................................................................................................................................. 96
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Waxahachie, TX
INTRODUCTION
On behalf of the Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce (WCC) Economic Development Committee, the City of Waxahachie engaged TIP Strategies to assist in
developing an economic development strategic plan for the city. The following recommendations are the result of a nine-month process incorporating input and ideas
from key stakeholders and organizations throughout the city. The plan is designed with the overall goal of positioning Waxahachie for long-term growth and prosperity.
The Challenge
2003-2006
2007-2010
Transportation & warehousing
Healthcare & social assistance
Oil, gas, & mining
Retail trade
Finance & insurance
Government (incl. public ed.)
Property sales & leasing
Restaurants, bars, & hotels
Personal & other services
Professional & technical services
Administrative services
Construction
Agriculture, forestry, & fishing
Wholesale trade
Educational services (excl. public ed.)
Arts, entertainment, & recreation
Information & media
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
(200)
(400)
(600)
Manufacturing
(800)
This does not mean Waxahachie must turn away from manufacturing
employment and investment. Because of its location and transportation
access, Waxahachie will still be attractive to manufacturers looking to expand
or relocate facilities. However, Waxahachie lacks the shovel ready sites and
buildings necessary to compete with other cities in the region for significant
industrial prospects. Moreover, the city currently lacks the tools and resources
Waxahachie defined as the sum of zip codes 75165, 75167, & 75168
(1,000)
The loss of local manufacturing jobs has been absorbed by employment
growth in other sectors, including transportation & warehousing, healthcare,
and retail. Indeed, the expansion of Waxahachie’s retail sector has helped to
generate additional tax revenue to the city. Retail jobs, however, tend to pay
lower wages and don’t require higher educational attainment levels.
Commuting data indicate many of those working in Waxahachie’s retail
establishments arrive each day from other cities in the region. Conversely, a
large number of the city’s higher skilled, higher earning professionals are
leaving each day for jobs in Dallas and other parts of the Metroplex.
Job growth by industry sector in Waxahachie, 2003-2010
INTRODUCTION
The members of the Economic Development Committee requested from TIP a
plan that offers an honest assessment of Waxahachie’s economic strengths
and challenges. Many on the committee recognized a major challenge facing
Waxahachie is the erosion of the city’s traditional manufacturing employment
base. Indeed, about 800 net manufacturing jobs were lost in Waxahachie from
2003 to 2010. (See adjacent figure.) Moreover, these losses occurred both
during the recession and prior to the economy’s near collapse, indicating a
structural shift taking place in the city’s economy.
SOURCE: EM SI Co mplete Emplo yment - 2nd Quarter 2011preliminary
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Waxahachie, TX
to manage a comprehensive economic development program, including marketing and recruitment, business retention and expansion, and downtown revitalization.
The Response
Overcoming these challenges will require a coordinated and dedicated response by the City of Waxahachie and
its economic development partners. Fortunately, Waxahachie has a number of assets working in its favor. It has
the potential for one of the most dynamic economies in the region. The community has, in fact, succeeded in
growing its economy and population in recent years without a strategic plan to guide its efforts. However,
Waxahachie now stands at a critical juncture. It is poised for new types of investment and a greater presence in
the region. This plan offers a five-year roadmap to transforming Waxahachie’s economic base and securing its
long-term future.
Vision and Goals
Waxahachie is an emerging destination for high-skill jobs and new investment
in the Metroplex.
This vision will be achieved by:

Improving the city’s image on IH-35

Promoting economic diversification

Becoming a destination for higher education and healthcare services

Serving as an alternative to northern Metroplex cities for higher-level investment and jobs

Preserving and enhancing the community’s authentic quality of place
TIP Strategies, Inc. (TIP) is a privately held
Austin-based business and economic
development consulting firm committed to
providing quality solutions for both public
and private-sector clients.
Established in 1995, the firm’s areas of
practice include economic development
consulting, strategic planning, site selection,
economic impact analysis, regional
economic development, target industry
analysis, cluster analysis, technology audit,
transit-oriented development, workforce
analysis, feasibility studies, market analysis,
and redevelopment analysis and planning.
INTRODUCTION
Economic development goals, strategies, and actions must be driven by a clear vision. While conceptually this
makes sense, the more practical value of the vision is in directing resources for the express purpose of
economic development. As a result, successful vision statements are bold but provide a clear direction and can
be supported by goals and strategies. We believe that the following economic development vision for
Waxahachie achieves those objectives and reflects the city’s real economic development potential.
About TIP Strategies
106 E. 6th Street, Suite 550
Austin, Texas, 78701
512.343.9113 (voice)
512.343.9190 (fax)
www.tipstrategies.com
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Waxahachie, TX
The economic development vision must be supported by focused goals that reinforce the concepts emphasized in the vision. The goals provide the structure for
evaluating opportunities and prioritizing the investment of Waxahachie’s economic development resources. We believe that the following five goals will accomplish
that:
1. Higher education and healthcare
2. Land development
3. Marketing and image
4. Downtown revitalization
5. Economic development capacity & tools
INTRODUCTION
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Waxahachie, TX
SWOT
TIP conducted an economic development SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) for Waxahachie, based on a review of economic,
demographic, and workforce characteristics, interviews with local business and community leaders, as well as our experience working with communities across the
country.
The adjacent table captures the major findings from this analysis. The strategies in the economic development plan seek to build upon Waxahachie’s strengths,
capitalize upon its opportunities, and address its weaknesses and threats. The more detailed Economic Assessment is contained in Appendix A.
STRENGTHS
Strong population growth
Proximity to I-35 & DFW
Transportation links (highway, rail, air)
Regional retail center
Water supply and infrastructure
Charm of historic homes, districts, and architecture
Growth of Navarro College & SAGU
Quality of WISD
Baylor Medical Center
Affordable undeveloped land
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Convergence of education & healthcare
Industrial/commercial land assembly
I-35 and gateway beautification
Expanded economic development efforts
Downtown revitalization
Regional marketing
New destination retail
WEAKNESSES
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South Dallas Identity
Image portrayed from IH-35
Wage and income levels
Lack of regional cooperation
Limited incentive options/funding
Leakage of high-wage professional service jobs
Lack of existing industrial & commercial buildings
INTRODUCTION
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OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
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Continued decline of manufacturing base
Shifting center of gravity away from city’s center
Spread of substandard housing stock
New undesirable development along I-35
Decline of the downtown
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Waxahachie, TX
Framework
The planning process involved extensive economic analysis, in-depth interviews
and focus groups, and regular interaction with the project steering committee and
the City of Waxahachie leadership and staff.
The Strategic Plan that follows amplifies each goal and proposes strategies and
actions to achieve these goals. An Implementation Matrix assigns responsibility
and sets out a time frame for implementing the strategies. We also list
Performance Metrics that should be tracked to record Waxahachie’s progress
towards its economic goals.
INTRODUCTION
The appendices of this document contain a wealth of information to support the
strategic recommendations of this plan. Appendix A is an Economic Assessment
focused on understanding the county’s demographics, workforce, and economy in
both a regional and national context. Appendix B contains profiles on a selected
number of recommended target sectors for Waxahachie. Appendix C provides
information on general site location requirements for different types of industrial
and commercial development.
The plan itself needs to be seen not as a static document, but as one that invites revisions and amendments as conditions change. In addition, economic development
targets and initiatives in the DFW Metroplex may prompt further changes in Waxahachie’s recruitment strategy. For these reasons, TIP encourages the city and its
economic development partners to take a dynamic approach to implementation – one that revisits this plan on an annual basis at a minimum.
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Waxahachie, TX
1. HEALTHCARE & HIGHER EDUCATION
Pursue higher education and healthcare as long-term target sectors.
Sustaining a healthy and educated population is essential to any community’s economic
vitality. Without high quality schools and medical care, communities are at a competitive
disadvantage for retaining or attracting residents and businesses.
Indeed, healthcare and education are now the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S.
Sometimes referred to as “proximity services,” these sectors cannot be off-shored and often
involve personal interactions requiring creativity and high skill levels. Demographics are also
driving the rise of these sectors. Aging Baby Boomers are requiring more healthcare services.
For example, healthcare related jobs account for seven of the top 20 fastest growing
occupations and 14 out of the 20 fastest growing jobs in the U.S.
STRATEGIC PLAN
Active support for local healthcare and education sectors has not primarily been viewed as a
core function for economic developers. These sectors were valued for supporting a healthy,
dependable, and skilled local workforce, which is critical to attracting new employers.
However, as more jobs in manufacturing and services are sent offshore or eliminated, there is
a growing acceptance that the health and education sectors serve as vitals sources of output
and employment growth.
In recognition of the strong connection between education and
healthcare to economic prosperity in the Metroplex, the Dallas
Regional Chamber (DRC) has worked to support the
development of both sectors. The DRC considers healthcare to
be one of the region’s innovative clusters and has launched
several initiatives to promote the Metroplex as a global
healthcare center. In a March 2011 study commissioned by the
Chamber, the UNT Center for Economic Development and
Research estimates the total value added by the health care
industry in the DFW region to be $52 billion annually,
representing 15 percent of the region’s economic activity. In
addition, to support the regional workforce, the DRC created a
five-year strategic plan dedicated to improving public education
in the region, with an initial focus on DISD. While these are
examples of large regional initiatives, there are also numerous
local efforts to bolster economic development by supporting
healthcare and education in the Metroplex.
The education and healthcare sectors are critical pieces of Waxahachie’s social and economic
fabric. The presence of Baylor Medical Center, WISD, Navarro College, and Southwestern
Assemblies of God University (SAGU) are fundamental to the city’s quality of life. Moreover, these sectors are increasingly becoming economic engines for
Waxahachie, as well. For example, between 2003 and 2010, Waxahachie’s healthcare industry added 555 jobs, making it the city’s 4th largest employment sector.
With an aging population and healthcare expenditures on the rise, this sector will expand in the coming years. Likewise, projected strong growth in student enrollment
at SAGU, Navarro College, and WISD will require additional educators and physical infrastructure to sustain the high quality educational programs.
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Waxahachie, TX
Healthcare
The presence of a hospital is a critical community and economic development asset. It is essential to the quality of life of a community and its residents. These medical
centers are now recognized as economic assets. Waxahachie has served as the healthcare center for Ellis County for nearly a century, with Baylor Health Care
System as the chief provider for almost 30 years. Driven by the strong population growth in the area, Baylor is expanding its presence in Waxahachie by constructing a
new state-of-the-art hospital at the northwest corner of the I-35 and Hwy. 287 intersection. Such a facility has the potential to serve as an anchor for new medical,
commercial, retail, and high-tech development surrounding that important juncture. The City of Waxahachie
and its economic development partners should work closely with Baylor to ensure the successful development of
Healthcare as an Anchor
the hospital, optimize the direct and indirect economic growth associated with it, and assist in identifying alternative
Although healthcare and education facilities
uses for the existing hospital.
1.1. Ensure the long-term success of Baylor Medical Center (BMC).
1.1.1.
1.1.3.

The City of Waxahachie should continue providing financial, planning, and technical
assistance to BMC in support of the relocation.

Continue working closely with BMC to ensure that the city remains responsive to the
proposed facility’s infrastructure needs, including roads, water, sewer, and utilities.
Work with BMC to launch a capital campaign to help finance the new hospital.

Heighten awareness for fundraising throughout the community.

Encourage local charity and community organizations to contribute and raise money for the
campaign.
Work with Baylor and the developer of the adjacent office building in marketing the site to
healthcare service providers in the region.
Examples of developments that have used
healthcare and/or education facilities as
anchors include:

Tradition (Gulfport, MS):
www.traditionms.com

Assist in the recruitment of new healthcare service providers to the planned office building.

Mueller (Austin, TX):
www.muelleraustin.com

Target the development of complementary businesses and activities on and near the site,
including high-quality retail, hospitality, and residential development.

Avery Centre (Round Rock, TX):
www.waterstonedevelopment.com/retp
Acex.php
STRATEGIC PLAN
1.1.2.
Assist the relocation of BMC to its new site along IH-35.
are most often not on a community’s tax roll,
more developers are using these types of
facilities to anchor their mixed use
developments. Users of these facilities
generate demand for other services –
housing, retail, dining, and hospitality – and
employees of the facilities often earn higher
than the average income. This built-in
demand, in turn, increases the
attractiveness of the development to
tenants, allowing the developers to charge
premium rents and even expedite the
development timeline.
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Waxahachie, TX
1.1.4.
Assist in identifying adaptive reuse alternatives for the existing hospital building.


Consider hiring a hospital re-use consultant to assess the feasibility of an adaptive re-use
project.

Create a list of potential strategic uses for the space and invite developers to propose a
plan for the site in an open process.

Reuse options should consider other efforts to attract additional higher education
programs to Waxahachie. Other alternatives may include residential or commercial uses.
Brighton Learning & Resource
Campus, Brighton, CO
The Brighton Learning & Resource Campus
is an award-winning project that was an
adaptive reuse of 75,000 SF main hospital
building and 25,000 SF separate medical
office building to house multiple health and
educational resources for the community.
http://www.guidancebrokers.com/content/mo
del-adaptive-re-use-project-brighton-co
Support BMC’s competitive position by marketing the hospital internally and externally.

Local allies should engage in a public relations campaign championing BMC’s quality of care and overall positive influence in Waxahachie and
Ellis County.
1.2. Establish a new medical overlay zoning district to encourage new healthcare sector development and employment in the area surrounding the
new BMC site and other targeted areas of the city.
1.2.1.
The medical overlay district should be applied to the area surrounding the new BMC site to promote and accommodate new high quality healthcare
investment and employment in the area.
1.2.2.
The district should include language allowing for the development of healthcare related medical offices; nursing homes; medical/dental clinics; labs;
emergency services; medical vocational/business schools; and medical device manufacturing.
1.2.3.
The district should also permit complementary uses such as hotels, financial institutions, day care, destination retail, and other non-medical
professional services.
EXAMPLES: Medical Districts

Griffin, Georgia, has established a Medical Overlay District (MOD) to support the investment of the various institutional uses. The MOD will place restrictions
on those uses deemed incompatible with the future land uses anticipated in the area. The area is also intended to have a more urban, pedestrian-friendly
character in the future, and therefore replacement standards that support this vision are included in the overlay district. Finally, mapped limitations on heights
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STRATEGIC PLAN
1.1.5.
BMC, the City, and other local allies should evaluate the site and determine the feasibility
of various re-use scenarios. This can be accomplished by commissioning an independent
study or creating a city-led task force in conjunction with BMC.
Waxahachie, TX
will help reduce the impact of large-scale uses on the surrounding neighborhoods. Consideration has also
been given to the addition of an Enterprise Zone within the MOD to facilitate the recruitment of prospects.
http://www.cityofgriffin.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=kjt18curNdc%3D&tabid=37

Punta Gorda, Florida established a Medical Overlay District (MO) in its 2025 comprehensive plan. The
district was established to provide for the logical expansion of the medical office needs necessary to
accommodate the growing community and region in an effort to accommodate highly-specialized, unique
uses and development types related to the medical field. The intent of this MO district is to be as
generous as possible in permitted uses while at the same time maintaining a clean, attractive community
that provides an extension of the community primarily for medical practices.
http://www.chnep.org/info/HH/compplans/Punta%20Gorda.pdf
1.3.1.
Community leaders should be willing to meet with physician candidates BMC is recruiting to help
sell the benefits of working and living in Waxahachie.
1.3.2.
Promote the development of housing products in Waxahachie that are desired by healthcare
providers and staff, including:

Executive housing to positively influence doctors and other highly paid staff to live in
Waxahachie.

Adequate multifamily housing options for entry-level and non-technical staff.
Medical districts are special-use zoning
districts that traditionally promote, maintain,
and develop medical healthcare facilities
and medical education and research. The
first districts date back to the early 1940s in
large urban areas. In recent years, the
medical district concept has transformed into
a strategy leveraging the local healthcare
employee base as a foundation for
economic development and redevelopment
projects. In some urban areas, medical
districts are used to link medical facilities
with older neighborhoods to spur economic
revitalization. In addition to the urban
districts, self-contained “healthcare villages”
are being developed—usually on suburban
green-field locations. In recent years,
medical villages have been established in
places such as Plano, TX; Clarkston, MI;
Jackson, NJ; and Skokie, IL.
STRATEGIC PLAN
1.3. Assist BMC in attracting/retaining talent.
Medical Districts
1.4. Work with WISD and post-secondary institutions to expand medical education programs.
1.4.1.
Encourage and support WISD in the development of allied health programs in secondary schools to assist in supplying labor force for BMC and other
potential healthcare providers.

Coordinate meetings between BMC and WISD to help the district better understand the hospital’s semi-skilled labor needs that the school
district could assist in supplying.

Assist in identifying potential funding sources for initiating allied-health programs at WISD.
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Waxahachie, TX

1.4.2.
Explore the possibility of WISD and BMC establishing a formal internship/apprenticeship program to aid in the transfer of vocational students to
entry-level positions at the new hospital.
Support the establishment of an upper division nursing education program or other healthcare-related satellite training facility operated by a four-year
higher education institution in Waxahachie.

Meet with area higher education institutions to communicate the goal and opportunity for providing upper division healthcare training in
Waxahachie that complements nursing education already provided by Navarro College.

If the city receives positive feedback, consider options (e.g., property acquisition and donation, infrastructure development and provision, as well
as other incentives) to assist in the establishment of a facility in Waxahachie. The city should encourage the development in a location that may
eventually serve as a full-fledged higher education center.
1.5. Target medical device companies for recruitment.
STRATEGIC PLAN
1.5.1.
See Strategy 4.2.
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Waxahachie, TX
Higher Education
Home to Navarro College and Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Waxahachie has a compelling
economic development interest in expanding higher education programs available in the community. These
institutions provide vital education and training opportunities to residents and workers of Ellis County. They also
serve as a conduit for attracting creative talent to the community, in the form of both students and faculty.
Waxahachie’s growing population enjoys an above-average share of people enrolled in post-secondary education
– 8 percent in Waxahachie compared to 6 percent in the DFW Metroplex. However, only 21 percent of the city's
residents hold a college degree or higher. For the broader Metroplex, the ratio is 30 percent. These contrasting
figures relate to the lack of a public four-year institution in Waxahachie. They may also be the consequence of
fewer employment opportunities in Waxahachie requiring a bachelor’s degree.
“Higher education is a key actor in the
revitalization of urban communities, in the
development of responses to declining
economics in rural areas, and to the
competitive strategies of regions, states, and
nations.”
Waxahachie’s economy has historically been reliant on agriculture and manufacturing. For much of the 20th
Century, these sectors offered workers with no college education a shot at a middle class lifestyle. However, as
US employment in both sectors has declined in recent decades, the pressure on workers to pursue postsecondary education and training has increased. This is particularly true for those seeking careers in high
technology, professional services, and healthcare. For Waxahachie to successfully transition its economy, it must
provide its residents with new post-secondary educational opportunities, including bachelor’s and advanced degree programs.
1.6. Establish a Waxahachie Higher Education Task Force to evaluate and plan for future higher education needs and investments in the community.
The purpose of the task force is to coordinate long-term efforts at expanding the higher education capacity in Waxahachie, including the attraction of upperdivision degree programs. The task force would also seek to identify new opportunities for greater collaboration between education, businesses,
government, and economic development.
1.6.1.
The task force should be composed of representatives of the city, local educational institutions (WISD and post-secondary), businesses (small,
medium, and large), economic development, workforce development, and other important local institutions.

Identify a well-known and respected business or education leader to chair the task force.

The chair should take the lead in recruiting and assembling the members (10-15) of the task force.

Once the task force is assembled, create an agenda for meetings, the scope of work to be undertaken, specific tasks, and expected
deliverables.

The task force may consider forming subcommittees to study and report on specific issues.
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STRATEGIC PLAN
Eugene P. Trani and Robert D. Holsworth, The
Indispensable University: Higher Education,
Economic Development, and the Knowledge
Economy (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman &
Littlefield Publishers, 2010), 2.
Waxahachie, TX
1.7. Formalize efforts to attract public four-year degree opportunities to Waxahachie.
Form a subcommittee within the Higher Education Task Force focused on expanding four-year
degree programs in the city.
Case Study – City of Roseville Higher
Education Task Force
1.7.2.
Assemble an information and data packet on the community that substantiates the need and the
business case for locating upper division programs in Waxahachie. This should be made
available as both a hard copy and in electronic format.
1.7.3.
Evaluate financial incentive options to support the expansion of higher education.
1.7.4.
Develop a marketing and outreach strategy, including the development of a website.
1.7.5.
Continue meeting with representatives of 4-year colleges and universities in the state to make
the case for locating in Waxahachie.
The City of Roseville, California established
a Higher Education Task Force to develop a
strategy designed to attract higher education
facilities and related investment to the
community. The task force was formed and
a work plan adopted by the city council in
June 2011. The Task Force included
representatives from regional higher
education providers, K-12 education, local
elected officials and public members.
1.8. Explore the long-term development of a higher education center in Waxahachie.
1.8.1.
The Higher Education Task Force should begin evaluating the feasibility of establishing a higher
education center in Waxahachie to house new four-year degree programs.
STRATEGIC PLAN
1.7.1.
The Task Force met five times from July
2011 to January 2012 to develop the
recommendations included in a final report
(linked below).

Open a dialogue with potential partners and stakeholders to discuss the concept of a higher
education learning facility.

Discuss with Navarro College officials how a center in Waxahachie can complement the
programs offered and envisioned at the Midlothian Higher Education Center.

Investigate the possibility of redeveloping the existing Baylor Medical Center as a higher education center.

Meet with officials at other higher education centers in Texas to understand the opportunities, challenges, and processes associated with
developing a center. Some candidates include the Collin Higher Education Center, the Round Rock Higher Education Center, the East
Williamson County Higher Education Center, and the Lampasas County Higher Education Center.

Meet with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to communicate the goal of expanding of higher education assets in Waxahachie and
obtain guidance and feedback.
http://www.roseville.ca.us/civica/filebank/blo
bdload.asp?BlobID=21967
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Waxahachie, TX
1.9. Support and strengthen the missions of Navarro College and SAGU.
1.9.1.

The City should incorporate information regarding specific academic and training programs at Navarro College and SAGU in its economic
development marketing materials. Training and academic programs that support economic development goals and priority sectors should be
highlighted.

Navarro College and SAGU should provide updated Waxahachie-related information, data, and events on its Waxahachie Campus web pages.

When appropriate, Navarro College and SAGU should consider inviting community representatives to participate in student and faculty
recruitment events.
Continue to encourage joint participation by city and college leadership on relevant boards, commissions, and panels.
STRATEGIC PLAN
1.9.2.
The city, Navarro College, and SAGU should engage in cooperative marketing efforts, highlighting Waxahachie’s education, economic development,
and community assets.
1.10. Support capital and education program expansion at Navarro College and SAGU.
1.10.1. Continue working with the Navarro College administration to identify opportunities to increase program and degree offerings at the Waxahachie
Campus linked to strategic industries such as advanced manufacturing, business, healthcare, and information technology.
1.10.2. Maintain open lines of communication with Navarro College regarding the city’s financial support for capital projects at the Waxahachie Campus.
1.10.3. Encourage local businesses and nonprofits to financially support Navarro College and SAGU’s scholarship, capital, and program needs.
1.11. Support K-12 excellence at WISD.
1.11.1. Highlight the many educational successes of WISD in promotional media.

Notably, promote Waxahachie Global High School and its STEM curriculum.
1.11.2. Encourage greater dialogue between the local business community and WISD.

Form a subcommittee of the Higher Education Task Force dedicated to forging closer ties between the local business community and
educational institutions.
1.11.3. Foster closer alignment between local economic development activities and WISD programs.
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Waxahachie, TX

Expand internship/apprenticeship programs to aid in the transfer of career and technical education students to entry-level positions among
existing industrial employers and/or targeted industries.

Enhance and expand partnerships between WISD and area higher education institutions in developing career and technical education programs
in targeted industries.
STRATEGIC PLAN
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Waxahachie, TX
2. LAND DEVELOPMENT
Encourage the development of sites and buildings needed to accommodate new investment and employment opportunities.
STRATEGIC PLAN
In the current economic development environment, communities that
feature shovel-ready sites and buildings have a significant competitive
advantage in attracting and retaining businesses. This advantage is
compounded when a city or economic development organization can offer
property as an incentive. Nearby examples of such deals include Sysco
Corp in Ennis and Triumph Aerostructures-Vought Aircraft Industries in Red
Oak. In 2010, Sysco purchased 257 acres of from the City of Ennis to
construct a one-million square foot super regional distribution center. In
2011, Triumph-Vought purchased 100 acres from the City of Red Oak to
establish an aerospace production facility. In both cases, the companies
purchased the land in city-controlled industrial parks under attractive terms.
The availability of shovel-ready sites and buildings for business expansion
and recruitment continues to be a major economic development challenge
for Waxahachie. The city has an abundance of greenfield land that is
suitable for industrial, flex/tech, and logistics development. However, very
few sites are infrastructure-ready and none are controlled by the City of
Waxahachie. With dozens of public and private industrial parks located
throughout the DFW Metroplex, Waxahachie finds itself at a competitive
disadvantage for attracting large employers.
To overcome this challenge, the City of Waxahachie should explore its options for assembling land appropriate for industrial and business park development. This goal
does not argue for Waxahachie to invest in a mega-site. The prospect of filling a 1,500-acre park in the post-Great Recession environment is improbable. Moreover,
Waxahachie has other economic development priorities that will compete for limited public resources, including investments to spur growth in the healthcare and
higher education sectors. Still, there will be manufacturing prospects that Waxahachie is well positioned to compete for. Its location, transportation access, utility
infrastructure, and growing population are real strengths. However, to attract a large employer in today’s highly competitive market, Waxahachie will have to add real
estate to its economic development toolbox.
17
Waxahachie, TX
2.1. Identify and market available sites and buildings for new private development.
2.1.1.
2.1.2.

The inventory ideally should catalog properties suitable for industrial, logistics & distribution, and commercial development in the city, including
location, size (acreage and net acreage), ownership, zoning, environmental, planning, shovel-readiness, and infrastructure requirements. (See
Appendix B: Considerations for Future Business and Industrial Parks)

Work with commercial real estate brokers and developers to collect information for the inventory.
List the available sites on a new city economic development website and cross list them on other regional economic development websites and
broker sites.

A searchable database of available industrial and commercial properties should eventually be incorporated into the website.

Add advanced property search and GIS mapping tools in future versions. The Greater San Marcos Partnership website features an advanced
search function for available sites and buildings. http://www.greatersanmarcostx.com/sites-buildings.aspx
Market available sites among site selection consultants and commercial real estate brokers in the Metroplex.

Distribute a quarterly email newsletter to DFW commercial real estate brokers and site selection consultants highlighting economic development
successes in Waxahachie and profiling specific development opportunities. Local property owners and real estate brokers should contribute
information and content for the newsletter.

The city and chamber should periodically host luncheons that showcase specific assets, such as available land and buildings or new projects.
Local and regional developers, site consultants, and industrial and commercial brokers should be invited to attend.
2.2. Evaluate the feasibility of establishing a Waxahachie industrial and business park. (See Appendix B: Considerations for Future Business and Industrial
Parks)
2.2.1.
Engage the real estate development community to determine the market feasibility of new industrial/commercial site developments and if public
sector involvement is needed.
2.2.2.
Develop a system for evaluating and scoring the various options, including such parameters as:

Availability and cost of land;

Environmental and other constraints
18
STRATEGIC PLAN
2.1.3.
Create an inventory of available privately-held sites.
Waxahachie, TX

Access to highways and rail;

Flat land, good drainage;

Access to utilities (water/waste water, electricity, gas); and

Access to telecommunications infrastructure, including broadband internet.
2.2.3.
Work with an experienced developer and/or engineering firm to evaluate a chosen site and develop a master plan.
2.2.4.
Determine the ownership structure for a park, exploring options to include:
Public-sector development, ownership, and management.

Public/private partnership (public ownership, private development and management).

Private ownership supported by public sector development incentives.
2.2.5.
Develop a business plan for the park, including operations, maintenance, targeted industries/tenants, and pricing structure for lots.
2.2.6.
If the city determines the development of a publicly-owned industrial park is not feasible, alternative strategies should be considered to encourage
new employment sites.

Purchase a single site or building. Such a purchase could be part of an incentive deal the city negotiates with an investment prospect. For
example, the city would agree to buy an existing site and sell or lease it back to a company at below-market terms.

Another is to acquire private land or buildings and set it aside for future targeted development when market conditions warrant. This practice,
commonly referred to as land banking, is a viable option for communities seeking to preserve undeveloped land for a specific future purpose.
STRATEGIC PLAN

2.3. Strengthen development standards in targeted residential, retail, and commercial zoning districts to ensure a better, more diverse building and
housing stock.
One of the threats cited in the SWOT analysis is the spread of substandard housing stock in Waxahachie. This concern is also holds true for some existing
forms of retail and commercial development activity. In is in the city’s best long-term economic interest to feature a diverse stock of housing and building
options for residents and businesses. There exists a large amount of undeveloped land in the city, some of which is located in high-profile prime
development locations. To ensure these areas are eventually developed to a use and quality that maximizes their potential, the city should look at
strengthening development standards where needed. The benefits of promoting higher quality development will be to bolster the city’s economic base,
maintain and protect property values, and enhance the physical image and identity of Waxahachie.
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Waxahachie, TX
2.3.1.
2.3.2.
City leadership and planning staff should review existing residential, commercial, and retail
development standards for certain zoning districts within the city to identify where and to
what extent standards should be strengthened.
Ensure the zoning and design standards along the IH-35 corridor promote higher quality
development and restrict substandard retail and industrial uses. (See Strategy 4.2.)
2.4. Identify and implement plans for long range water, wastewater, telecommunications,
electrical, and road improvements needed to serve new and existing business growth.
2.4.1.
2.4.2.
Evaluate infrastructure availability and quality in future industrial/tech sites. (See Appendix B:
Considerations for Future Business and Industrial Parks)
2.5. Pursue new development opportunities associated with the Mid-Way Regional Airport.
2.5.1.
Work with Midlothian on joint marketing initiatives associated with the airport.
2.5.2.
Work in conjunction with adjacent property owners & realty brokers to develop and maintain
a vacant/available land data base for industrial and commercial development used for shared
marketing efforts.
2.5.3.
2.5.4.
Consider establishing a separate Airport Development Zone or Airport Enterprise Zone to
provide incentives to attract incremental aviation-centric and non-aviation traditional
businesses to the airport and adjacent area.

Example: North Fort Worth Airport Development Zone

Example: The City of Port Arthur Jefferson County Airport Enterprise Zone
Ensure the utilities, infrastructure and building sites both on the airport and adjacent to it are
ready for business attraction and development by a prospective company. Readiness is
critical to ensure a company’s rapid location of their business to the area, as well as
demonstrate the Mid-Way Airport and adjacent areas overall competitive edge.
Commercial
 Air Charter Services
 Flight Scheduling & Dispatching
 Aircraft Engines & Parts Brokerage
 Testing Laboratories
 Aircraft Insurance Agencies And
Brokerages
Warehousing
STRATEGIC PLAN
Prioritize infrastructure projects based on which development areas and sites are most
suitable for expanding businesses and prospective businesses.
Sample Businesses and Industries
Linked with Airport Development
 Aircraft Engines & Parts Wholesalers
 General Warehousing & Storage
Aviation Light Mixed Use &
Manufacturing
 Fluid, Hydraulic, Pneumatic Aircraft SubAssemblies Manufacturing
 Prototype Aircraft Engines & Engine
Parts Development And Production
 Aircraft Communication Equipment,
Antennas, GPS Equipment
Manufacturing
 Aircraft Engine
Overhaul/Remanufacturing
 Aircraft Engine Parts Manufacturing
Aircraft Assemblies, Subassemblies,
Parts, Component Manufacturing
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Waxahachie, TX
3. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY & TOOLS
Expand the capacity and tools of the community to conduct economic development.
For any economic development plan to be successful, it must have the support of the citizens and stakeholders it
is designed to serve. Since the ultimate goal of economic development is to stimulate private investment, the
support of the private sector is particularly important to a plan’s success. The goals, strategies, and actions must
also correspond to the available local resources and capacity for conducting economic development. With these
considerations in mind, the vision articulated in this plan calls for Waxahachie to become a destination for high-skill
jobs and new investment in the Metroplex. Achieving that vision will require additional investments in the economic
development capacity of the community, including public resources.
Waxahachie can approach the need for greater capacity and engagement with the local business community in
different ways. One option is for the City of Waxahachie to dedicate additional internal resources toward the
implementation of this plan. A one-person city staff responsible for executing an ambitious plan is not realistic.
Along with additional staff, a multi-organizational economic development team should be formed to lead the
implementation of the plan and advise the City of Waxahachie on economic development matters. Another option
is to establish a completely new organization that would independently coordinate and execute economic
development activities for the community, including business recruitment, retention, and marketing. While this is
the preferred approach of many communities, it may not be feasible in Waxahachie (in the near term). However, as
Waxahachie continues to grow, the city’s financial situation improves, and the plan’s implementation results in
demonstrable successes, the concept of establishing a new economic development organization should be considered.
Economic development organizations are
expected to perform some, or all, of the
functions listed below.

marketing and recruitment (targeted
industries)

business advocacy

business expansion and retention

financial incentives

real estate disposition and
improvements

land and buildings

bonding authority

infrastructure improvements

workforce and professional training

business start-up support
STRATEGIC PLAN
Several recommendations in the plan reach beyond traditional economic development, including the pursuit of
higher education and healthcare as primary targets. Their implementation will require the support of partners from
both the public and private sectors. It is, therefore, critical for local partnerships and joint ventures to support its
implementation. The need for cooperation and partnerships may extend to other communities within the South
Dallas area, as well as economic development efforts led by regional organizations such as the Greater Dallas
Chamber.
Economic Development Functions
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Waxahachie, TX
3.1. Create task forces to manage the implementation of the plan.
The purpose of these task forces is to coordinate the short- and medium-term efforts the plan’s implementation. Task forces should be formed around the
goals of the plan: medical, education, land development, economic development capacity, marketing and image, and downtown revitalization. Each task
force will have a designated leader who guides and directs the groups’ goals, strategies, and ultimate action steps. The task force leaders are expected to
coordinate their actions with the Executive Steering Committee and the Full Economic Development Committee.
The task forces will have no binding authority, but will have an advisory and organizing function. Each will be tasked with prioritizing the plan’s initiatives for
implementation and identifying the necessary resources. They should also regularly evaluate the implementation schedule and make adjustments as
conditions warrant. The teams should strive to demonstrate specific successes toward implementation, especially on higher profile priority projects.
Recruit volunteers representing diverse interests in Waxahachie to serve as task force members.
3.1.2.
Establish a regular meeting schedule.
3.1.3.
Utilize an online project management (Basecamp) to facilitate coordination and communication of task force activities.
3.1.4.
Periodically update the Waxahachie City Council on the progress of implementation.
STRATEGIC PLAN
3.1.1.
3.2. Establish a city economic development fund.
3.2.1.
The City of Waxahachie should create a fund that can be utilized to support marketing and business retention efforts, recruitment incentives, and
specific development initiatives. The annual allocation to the fund should be at least $200,000.
3.3. Consider the use of other incentive tools.
To incentivize new private investment and employment in the community, the City of Waxahachie has utilized tax abatements, Texas Enterprise Zone,
Freeport Exemption, and the existing Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ). In addition to these incentives, Waxahachie should consider using other
economic development tools, including:

Chapter 380 Agreement: This chapter of the Texas Local Government Code authorizes Texas municipalities, both home-rule and general law
municipalities to provide assistance for economic development. Texas cities may provide monies, loans, city personnel, and city services for
promotion and encouragement of economic development.

Public infrastructure cost participation: To encourage certain commercial, industrial, or residential developments, the city may consider
contributing a portion or the entire amount of the required city infrastructure. The city is currently working with BMC on infrastructure assistance
for the new hospital.
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Waxahachie, TX

Development fee rebates: Waxahachie may consider rebating a portion or the entire amount of all city fees charged in the regulation of land
development.

Revolving Loan Fund (RLF): A Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) provides operating
capital for small developing companies. Waxahachie should consider
establishing a RLF to support businesses in targeted sectors or in specific
geographic areas of the city, such as the downtown square. To assist in
capitalizing an RLF, Waxahachie could apply for a grant from the Economic
Development Administration (EDA) through the agency’s Revolving Loan Fund
Program.
3.4. Hire additional economic development staff.
3.4.1.
The city manager and economic development director should take the lead in
interviewing and hiring candidates to fill the economic development specialist
position. The minimum qualifications for the economic development specialist should
include:
Some of the major responsibilities the economic
development specialist should perform include (but
are not limited to):

Helping to design and maintain an economic
development website for Waxahachie

Building and maintaining databases of existing
businesses and preferred business sites

Researching and compiling site location,
demographic, and economic information
regarding Waxahachie for investment prospects
and site location consultants.

Redesigning and updating a community profile

Preparing prospect packets

Researching prospects and target employers

Graduation from a four-year university with a degree in urban planning, business
or public administration, economics, marketing, finance, or a related field, and

Representing Waxahachie at various economic
development events throughout the Metroplex

Two to three (2-3) years related experience.

Conducting existing business visitations

Completion of the Basic Economic Development Course (BEDC) or similar
accreditation.

Administering a local employer survey

Coordinating local business roundtables and
forums
STRATEGIC PLAN
Currently, the City of Waxahachie employs one full-time economic development professional
to manage the city’s economic development efforts. This level of staffing resources is
insufficient to enact the programs and initiatives contained in this plan. Therefore, TIP
recommends the director be supported by an economic development specialist.
Economic Development Specialist Duties
23
Waxahachie, TX
3.5. Build community support for a new economic development alliance in 3-5 years.
For many cities in Texas, community economic development efforts are led by dedicated organizations. Typically, these are in the form of Section 4A or 4B
development corporations, which are funded by local sales tax revenue. Indeed, Waxahachie has adopted a 4B sales tax to fund community development
projects. Other cities without economic development sales tax corporations rely on regional chambers (with assigned economic development staff) or other
foundations to lead economic development efforts. An organizational framework common in
other states is an alliance that relies on both public and private financial support. Often,
Example – Kenosha Area Business Alliance
these are business membership organizations supported by annual dues and periodic
(KABA)
capital campaigns. They employ professional staff focused on recruitment, business
retention & expansion, and land assembly/development. In most cases, a separate chamber
KABA is the lead business organization that drives
of commerce is responsible for local business advocacy, networking, event planning, and
economic development throughout Kenosha County,
resident attraction.
Wisconsin. In addition to financing numerous
The feedback TIP has received suggests the establishment of such an alliance in
Waxahachie is not financially and politically feasible in the short-term. Nevertheless, TIP
recommends the community moves toward building support for a new dedicated economic
development organization over the next three to five years.
3.6. Establish a robust business retention and expansion program.
Business retention and expansion (BRE) should be the heart of any economic development
program. A solid BRE program will help Waxahachie protect and even grow its existing base
of employers. Focusing on existing employers makes sense – they are already invested in
the community. In the context of the private sector, a business retention program is like the
adage that says you must attend to your existing customers first. If you don’t, you jeopardize
your base. This is especially true in light of current economic conditions, with fewer
recruitment prospects and more existing businesses in distress.
projects for expanding or relocating businesses,
KABA has also worked with the City of Kenosha, the
Village of Pleasant Prairie, Kenosha County, and
Wispark LLC to establish the Business Park of
Kenosha and Lakeview Corporate Park as the
premiere business locations in Southeast Wisconsin.
STRATEGIC PLAN
The primary advantage of a dedicated economic development alliance is mutual participation
of the private and public sectors in economic development. Economic development
programs are most effective when they have the support and active participation of the
existing business community. An alliance also provides some separation between business
recruitment/retention and local issues.
With over 300 members, KABA represents a diverse
group of companies and individuals interested in the
economic development of Kenosha County.
Members range in size from Fortune 100 companies
to small business owners, sole proprietors, and
individuals. Each member makes an annual
investment in KABA based on the size of the
business measured by the number of employees in
the region.
www.kaba.org
At its simplest, a BRE program helps the economic development organization arrive at a clear understanding of the businesses already in the community
and helps keep tabs on changes and challenges area businesses face. The primary functions of a BRE program are threefold:
24
Waxahachie, TX
1. to ensure that at-risk businesses receive support, especially when that risk is the result of labor issues or other factors the community can
influence in some way;
2. to expand and support growing businesses; and
3. to advocate for local businesses generally, by identifying their issues and needs.
The economic development director at the City of Waxahachie is involved in BRE activities. However, with no support staff, the director’s ability to conduct a
robust program is limited. The Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce is also engaged in local business outreach and survey efforts, mainly focused on
membership input and tourism attraction. If a new economic development specialist position is established, TIP recommends the city, in collaboration with
the chamber, engage in a comprehensive BRE program.
Build and maintain inventory of existing businesses. The city should develop and maintain a database of existing businesses and available
properties in Waxahachie. Public business records, such as tax records, utility hookups, and ownership transfers, are good sources for information to
populate the database. The membership directories of the chamber and Waxahachie Downtown Merchants Association should also be utilized.
3.6.2.
Utilize a CRM system to manage contacts. Install and utilize a customer relationship management (CRM) software system for maintaining the
business inventory and managing the city’s relationships with local businesses.

STRATEGIC PLAN
3.6.1.
Evaluate systems utilized by other economic development organizations in the region. Three widely-used CRM programs are Sage Act!,
Salesforce.com, and Insightly. TIP recommends utilizing a web-based program if other organizations such as the chamber and Waxahachie
Downtown Merchants Association will formally participate in the BRE program.
3.6.3.
Administer a regularly scheduled employer survey. Conduct an annual employer survey as a means for keeping in touch with local business and
documenting specific needs or expansion plans. The survey should be conducted as both a paper and online survey.
3.6.4.
Conduct business visitations. To supplement findings from the employer survey, city economic development staff should visit at least 40 businesses
per year. The purpose of the visits should be to gauge the ability and needs of local businesses to operate successfully and possibly expand in
Waxahachie. A set procedure should be established for these visits to ensure that consistent information is gathered.
3.6.5.
Host business roundtables. Provide opportunities for local businesses to meet regularly with the city’s economic development and planning staff. The
purpose of these meetings is similar to that of the employer survey, but the face-to-face approach often stimulates discussion that a survey cannot.
This could be accomplished by holding quarterly forums or in conjunction with an existing event offered by the Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce.
3.6.6.
Provide networking opportunities for small businesses. In addition to the forums discussed above, networking opportunities can be a valuable part of
a BRE program. Hosting a monthly luncheon or “after hours” event has been a mainstay of chambers and economic development organizations. The
Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce already host regular events for local businesses. The city should continue supporting this organization and
25
Waxahachie, TX
encourage local small businesses to attend and participate. Supporting existing events – rather than introducing competing events – should be the
focus of this task.
3.6.7.
Promote Existing Small Business Programs and Services. Work with the Navarro College SBDC and other relevant organizations in the Metroplex to
ensure that existing small business and entrepreneur services are promoted to local businesses.
3.6.8.
Review Existing Regulations. City staff should conduct a review of development regulations, ordinances, and approval processes to ensure that
government is being responsive to the small business community. Small business owners should be part of this review.
3.6.9.
Have an intervention strategy. Develop a “rapid response” strategy for dealing with potential layoffs or plant closures. Under the Federal Worker
Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) of 1989, companies with 100 or more employees must notify local governments and state
workforce organizations about facility closings or mass layoffs at least 60 days in advance of the event. However, at this point, it is frequently too late
to do anything. Identify “at-risk” companies early-on and develop an aggressive intervention strategy. As part of this effort, the community should
identify the tools available to help avert such actions or ameliorate their impact. Examples of these tools include:
Partnering with the Texas Workforce Commission and the Waxahachie Workforce Center’s rapid response teams to provide assistance to
workers facing dislocation.

Cultivating relationships with site selectors, developers, and real estate brokers to ensure prompt reuse of a closed facility by a new tenant.
STRATEGIC PLAN

3.6.10. Report on progress. Provide ongoing evaluation and reporting by preparing an annual report to the community on progress-on-goal.
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Waxahachie, TX
4. MARKETING & IMAGE
Raise the profile and enhance the image of Waxahachie.
Residents of Waxahachie are very proud of their community. This truth became
obvious to the TIP team throughout our numerous discussions with leaders, business
owners, and citizens. And their sense of pride is wholly justified. Waxahachie enjoys
many positive attributes, most visibly its historic charm and unique architecture.
Moreover, the city’s people are warm, outgoing, and genuinely interested in making
their community a better place for all residents.
STRATEGIC PLAN
However, in addition to pride, many citizens expressed a sense of frustration that so
few outsiders are aware of all the good things Waxahachie has to offer. To those who
have never visited Waxahachie, the image of the city is largely defined by what is
visible along IH-35. Very little on the interstate speaks to the distinctive character of the
city, which remains hidden a few miles to the east. Another image challenge
Waxahachie must overcome is the stigma associated with being located in the South
Dallas corridor. Unfortunately, from an economic development perspective,
communities south of the Trinity River struggle with the unfair perception of not being
as desirable as communities to the north.
The city’s economic development stakeholders recognize that Waxahachie’s image challenge cannot be simply overcome by advertising on billboards on IH-35 or by
adopting a glossy branding campaign. These issues must be addressed by enhancing the quality of development and infrastructure along the interstate and linking it to
the downtown core. Toward this end, the city is working with Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) on beautifying the IH-35/287 interchange and has engaged
an engineering firm – Halff & Associates – for design work. Baylor Medical Center’s planned relocation to IH-35/287 also will help to redefine Waxahachie’s
appearance from the highway by projecting an image of high quality development. In addition to highway beautification, new development guidelines should be
enacted by the city that promotes higher quality development IH-35.
Waxahachie must also become more proactive in marketing itself to investment prospects. This includes designing a new economic development website and
engaging with the companies and site selectors in targeted sectors.
27
Waxahachie, TX
4.1. Continue efforts to beautify IH-35 gateways to the city.
4.1.1.
Complete the IH-35/287 interchange landscape and facade beautification project.

Work with Halff & Associates to select a design.

Coordinate with TxDOT on funding and construction.
Fort Worth’s 35W Coalition
4.1.2.
Work with TxDOT and state officials to seek funding for reconfiguring the IH35/287
cloverleaf interchange to improve access and connectivity.
4.1.3.
Initiate a long-term fundraising campaign to support beautification initiatives at other
key interstate gateways.

4.2. Ensure the zoning and design standards along the IH-35 corridor promote higher
quality development and restrict substandard retail and industrial uses.
Enhancing Waxahachie’s image along I-35 cannot be achieved only through Landscape and
Façade beautification. It will also require long-term efforts seeking to improve the type and
quality of developments along the corridor.
4.2.1.
Encourage developers to assemble parcels along IH-35 rather than develop small
scale retail and industrial on smaller lots. Modifying lot standards along I-35 should
address this issue. TxDOT standards prevent numerous curb cuts along the frontage
road. The city could also modify its lot standards for areas along IH-35—increasing the
size of the lots to prevent small lot development along the interstate.
4.2.2.
Review zoning along IH-35 to encourage intense retail, commercial, residential, and
medical development. New industrial developments along the corridor should be
allowed only on specified industrial tracts.
4.2.3.
Evaluate and strengthen standards and guidelines on issues such as site layout,
lighting, and landscaping.
STRATEGIC PLAN
Future designs should be consistent with the design chosen for the IH-35/287
project.
In response to rapid growth in the I-35W
corridor in Fort Worth, a group of concerned
citizens, business and land owners, developers
and local and state officials formed the “35W
Coalition.” This private, non-profit group is
dedicated to finding solutions to transportation
and traffic problems, and encouraging quality
development along the I-35W corridor extending
north from the core of Fort Worth into southern
Denton County. The coalition’s targeted area is
comprised of 107 square miles of land along I35W, including business, industrial, retail and
residential developments.
The coalition’s development goals include
establishing design criteria to create cognitive
entry points into the corridor; establishing a
character for the corridor and allowing for
maintenance of those design standards;
protecting the investments of current and future
landowners, investors and users; and
maintaining high standards of quality for
environmental protection and aesthetic quality.
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Waxahachie, TX
4.3. Formalize a business recruitment program.
The primary purpose of traditional economic development marketing is to generate interest
from companies with expansion or relocation plans. Due to resource and personnel
constraints, Waxahachie’s existing marketing outreach is very limited. However, as resources
permit, the City of Waxahachie should enhance its business recruitment efforts and include the
target industries listed in the adjacent text box.
The attraction of companies is the activity most commonly associated with economic
development organizations. Indeed, target industry recruitment is a cornerstone of most
programs. While essential, industry recruitment is a staff and resource-intensive activity. Large
metropolitan areas are able to afford it, but it is problematic for smaller communities.
4.3.1.
Begin building awareness among decision-makers in target sectors in the Metroplex.

Regional publications. Implement a public relations campaign targeted at
regional publications. TIP recommends identifying key regional publications such
as the Dallas Business Journal and sending press releases on recent business
successes. The initial press release should promote the importance of economic
development planning and how local leadership worked together to determine
the best opportunities for Waxahachie.
To support Waxahachie’s economic
development recruitment efforts, TIP identified
target industry sectors. They represent a
combination of traditional (manufacturing and
logistics) and non-traditional (healthcare and
higher education) sectors. The recommended
sectors capitalize on existing and emerging
assets in Waxahachie and the larger DFW
Metroplex. See Appendix B for additional
information on the recommended targets.

Healthcare (Goal 1)

Higher education (Goal 1)

Professional & technical services

Medical devices & supplies

Business, financial, & data services

Logistics & distribution

Food processing

Visitation. Call on owners and managers of DFW companies to present the benefits of Waxahachie as a location for future expansion or for
consolidation of facilities and operations.

Newsletter. Develop and distribute a quarterly e-newsletter to regional businesses, public officials, site selectors, real estate developers,
investment prospects, and other key stakeholders. In addition to communicating achievements and successes in Waxahachie, each issue
STRATEGIC PLAN
Due to resource and personnel constraints, Waxahachie’s existing marketing outreach is very
limited. To formalize a more ambitious campaign, the department would require additional
resources, both in terms staff and funds. TIP recommends city economic development staff
concentrates on building greater awareness of Waxahachie as a destination for new
investment among employers and site selectors in the DFW Metroplex, especially in the
recommended target sectors (see text box). Waxahachie should be top of mind to companies
seeking expansion within the region. The greatest emphasis should be placed on attracting
high quality employers that will raise Waxahachie’s standard of living and expand its tax base.
Recommended Target Sectors
29
Waxahachie, TX
should highlight a different opportunity in the city. Services such as Constant Contact – an email marketing and contact management program
for small businesses – make this a low-cost option for reaching target audiences. Email addresses can be gathered with a link on the city’s
website and via contacts with individuals and organizations during the course of outreach activities.
4.3.2.

Develop a database of developers, brokers, and site consultants in the DFW Metroplex.

Continue to maintain and update information typically of interest to commercial and industrial site selectors on a redesigned city economic
development website.

Call on site consultants in the region.

Offer assistance to market developers’ and land owners’ properties and buildings to prospective tenants.

Periodically host events that showcase specific assets, such as available land and buildings or new projects. Local and regional developers, site
consultants, and industrial and commercial brokers should be invited to attend.
Actively participate in joint marketing efforts of Dallas Regional Chamber and other regional economic development organizations.

4.3.4.
This may include attending call trips, trade shows, and conferences.
Establish a prospect management system.

Formalize the process by which prospects can indicate interest, receive information packets, visit Waxahachie, and apply for financial
assistance.

Post a digital form on the city economic development website allowing prospects to request an information packet, set up a visit and tour, and
indicate interest in locating in the community.

Redesign the city’s information packet that is provided to prospects.
4.4. Create a new city economic development website.
The current city economic development department website lacks many of the functions and informational assets considered standard for basic site
selection requirements, including an updated database of available industrial and commercial sites. In addition, the community profile and site
location information is not organized or portrayed in an effective manner. The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) has prepared a
30
STRATEGIC PLAN
4.3.3.
Begin building awareness among corporate site selectors.
Waxahachie, TX
comprehensive set of data standards for communities to use when presenting themselves to site selectors or prospective businesses. The data
standards matrix and related information is available on IEDC’s website. (http://www.iedconline.org/?p=Data_Standards)
4.5. Influence the image of Waxahachie portrayed on the Web and
through social media.
4.5.1.
Assume ownership of Waxahachie’s entry on Wikipedia.
Regularly update the information and data with references.
4.5.2.
Local organizations such as the Waxahachie Chamber of
Commerce should continue using Facebook and Twitter to
update and inform businesses and residents of new
announcements, upcoming events, and salient issues.
A successful marketing strategy should also include reaching out to
individuals and former residents with existing ties to Waxahachie. First,
the target audience already has a familiarity with the community, requiring less education about the community. Second, individuals with strong ties to
Waxahachie, especially young professionals with families, may already desire to return if given an opportunity. Third, these individuals would presumably be
easier to reach through existing social networks and, therefore, less expensive to target.
4.6.1.
Establish a marketing campaign urging former residents to “Come Home to Waxahachie.”

Work with alumni organizations and career placement offices at WISD, Navarro College, and SAGU to assist in the development of a database
of former students to whom marketing materials should be sent.

Develop an electronic newsletter to inform former residents of opportunities and current events in Waxahachie (e.g., job postings, business
expansions, investment opportunities, planning initiatives).

Information on local events and opportunities can also be communicated via web-based social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Enlist the support of the Waxahachie Daily Light in providing information about the newsletter and posting a link directly to its website. In many
cases, viewing of the “hometown newspaper” is the sole source for information about Waxahachie for former residents.
31
STRATEGIC PLAN
4.6. Reach out to former residents and recent graduates.
Waxahachie, TX
5. DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
Revitalize Waxahachie’s historic downtown.
STRATEGIC PLAN
A vibrant downtown is a key component to economic vitality. Downtown revitalization
influences every economic development issue facing the city of Waxahachie, from talent
attraction and retention to quality of place to economic diversification. The commitment
of Waxahachie to its historic downtown is evident. The community has been resilient in
preserving the heritage and architecture of its downtown commercial buildings,
gingerbread homes, and county courthouse. It has intervened to save the Texas
Theater and renovate the MKT Train Depot using Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone
(TIRZ) funds. In recognition of these and other efforts, Waxahachie was one of only
three Texas cities in 2010 to be given a First Lady's Texas Treasures Award, which
honors “communities that have shown a high level of creativity and ingenuity in
recognizing and preserving their authentic Texas sense of place.” Unfortunately, despite
years of investment by the City of Waxahachie; Ellis County; the TIRZ Board;
Waxahachie Partnership, Inc.; the Waxahachie Downtown Merchants Association
(WDMA); and the Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce (WCC), the downtown square
continues to struggle as a commercial destination.
As the retail, commercial, and residential center of gravity of Waxahachie moves northward, downtown Waxahachie is being left behind. The economic viability of
downtown is hindered by perceived traffic congestion and road bottlenecks along the Hwy 77 corridor. Many commented to the consulting team that, despite the
relatively short distance from the intersection of the Hwy 77/287 area to downtown, there is a perception that driving to the square is inconvenient, especially when
most retail needs can be found in the strip centers to the north. The city’s ability to improve north-south access is weakened by TxDOT’s jurisdiction over Hwy 77. The
aesthetics and quality of development along other portals into downtown, notably Main Street, would also benefit from enhancement.
In April 2011, a team of downtown revitalization and historic preservation professionals conducted a site visit to Waxahachie and compiled their findings in a Main
Street Program reassessment report published by the Texas Historical Commission. This study contains valuable recommendations local downtown stakeholder
organizations should adopt as part of ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown Waxahachie. In addition to these recommendations, TIP suggests other strategies that
may bolster the economic competiveness of downtown and its businesses. However, beyond all the programs and incentives focused on the central business district,
the long term vitality of downtown will largely depend on the city’s success in attracting new higher intensity employment centers through the strategies
outlined in the other four goals and linking them to the downtown.
32
Waxahachie, TX
5.1. Establish small business support resources and services in the downtown square.
5.2. Explore the use of new financial tools to support downtown business growth.
5.2.1.
Consider establishing a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) focused on supporting businesses in the central business district. See Strategy 3.3.
5.2.2.
Create a municipal management district or a business improvement district that overlays the downtown core.

Such a district would have the authority to raise funds that can be used for marketing activities, landscape maintenance, infrastructure
improvements, and generally to supplement services provided in the area.
5.2.3.
Consider reducing, abating, or deferring fees to encourage new businesses to locate downtown.
5.2.4.
Pursue any available state and federal grant funds available for facilitating downtown revitalization efforts.
5.3. Work with Ellis County to redevelop its vacant offices on West Franklin.
5.3.1.
Hold a developer forum to solicit ideas from the real estate development community for possible reuse of the offices.
5.3.2.
Continue marketing the offices on the city’s website.
33
STRATEGIC PLAN
A considerable challenge to sustaining a vibrant business sector in any community is the lack of experience and practical business knowledge most
entrepreneurs possess when starting a business. It’s not the lack of a good idea that often causes a business to fail, but the lack of a good business plan.
Local business owners and experts remarked to the consulting team that this has been a challenge in Waxahachie, particularly in the downtown square.
Moreover, many failed entrepreneurs were not aware of the local mentoring and support
resources available to them. It was suggested that if Navarro SBDC and WCC had a regular
“A healthy and vibrant downtown boosts the
presence in the downtown, more small business owners would seek assistance to help their
economic health and quality of life in a
enterprises succeed.
community. Specifically, it creates jobs, incubates
5.1.1. Leadership at Navarro College, the SBDC, and the chamber should maintain a
small businesses, reduces sprawl, protects
presence in the downtown square.
property values, and increases the community’s
options for goods and services. A healthy
5.1.2. Invite outside business experts to give training and mentoring workshops in the
downtown is a symbol of community pride and
downtown square.
history.”
 Downtown stakeholders may consider funding regular small business training
workshops.
- The Pew Partnership for Civic Change
Waxahachie, TX
5.3.3.
The city and TIRZ Board should maintain open lines of communication with the county about purchasing the offices.
5.4. Regularly track growth and development in the downtown.
5.4.1.
Conduct an annual survey to establish the baseline conditions of the downtown market. The key metrics to be tracked are:

Housing units (total, rentable, occupied, average price per square foot)

Office space (total square feet, useable square feet, occupied square feet, average price per square foot)

Building ownership (local vs. distant, absentee)

Retail space (total square feet, useable square feet, occupied square feet, average price per square foot)

Arts & cultural establishments (number of establishments, visitors)
With the information obtained in the survey, produce a report card summarizing the data and achievements towards revitalization efforts. Include any
projects either fully or partially funded with public funds.
5.4.3.
Publicize reports to local and regional realtors, brokers, and developers. Post the report card on the WDMA website with links from the City of
Waxahachie’s site and the WCC’s site.
5.5. Encourage the attraction of additional professional services businesses to downtown.
In addition to retail, dining, and entertainment establishments, local stakeholders should target additional professional services businesses for downtown
locations.
5.5.1.
As part of the city’s target sector strategy, encourage small professional services firms to locate in downtown office locations. Professional services
such as IT consulting, software development, engineering, architecture, law, and marketing often prefer downtown or urban locations.
5.5.2.
The city should analyze the telecommunications infrastructure in the downtown core to ensure it meets the broadband and wireless communications
needs of professional services businesses, especially IT services and software companies.
34
STRATEGIC PLAN
5.4.2.
Waxahachie, TX
5.6. Promote the development of second-story residential options in the downtown square to serve as a catalyst for commercial development.
A market-based revitalization strategy should include a focus on leveraging residential development to build greater interest in commercial development.
Urban planners and strategists have known for years that “rooftops” (resident populations) become engines that drive a diversified economy, including retail
and neighborhood support. Urban dwellers tend to spend more and be more entrepreneurial, involved in community leadership, and committed to a sense of
community. For these reasons, further residential development downtown should be a priority.
5.6.1.
Review and amend the city comprehensive plan and zoning guidelines to allow for
greater densities for downtown residential development.
5.6.2.
Consider using public incentives to assist property owners in remodeling older buildings
for residential use while also conforming to historic reservation standards.
5.7. Pursue a long-term strategy of securing a downtown anchor tenant(s).
Encourage the development of a flagship mixed-use project that includes niche retail,
entertainment options, fine dining, and residential units. This project should be
designed with the goal of promoting downtown as an after-hours destination.
5.7.2.
Promote destination retail among the mix of uses in the flagship anchor project. In order
to generate developer interest, such a project may need to be structured as a
public/private partnership and include a significant retail anchor. If possible, the project
should entail the creative reuse of an existing building rather than new construction.

Ideally, the anchor should be a major, exciting draw that cannot necessarily be
found in a shopping mall. It could be an entertainment venue, a “special-occasion”
restaurant, or a niche retail store.
5.8. Support road improvements, mobility, and circulation throughout Waxahachie,
especially to key thoroughfares connecting the downtown to IH-35 and Hwy 287.
5.8.1.
Continue working to improve mobility issues along Highway 77, West Main, and other
key city thoroughfares.

Consideration should be given to establishing a city Mobility Task Force to monitor
improvements and educate the general public regarding mobility improvements in
In 2008, the Kenosha (Wisconsin) Area
Business Alliance (KABA) engaged TIP
Strategies to assist in the development of an
economic development plan: Kenosha First. A
challenge facing the City of Kenosha was the
shifting of the county’s commercial and
residential center of gravity away from the
downtown Kenosha, located on the shores of
Lake Michigan.
STRATEGIC PLAN
5.7.1.
Downtown Anchors
In response, TIP recommended that KABA
encourage existing Kenosha County companies
and retailers to establish downtown anchors. In
response to the plan, KABA assisted one of its
major employers, Jockey International, Inc., in
considering a downtown location. In May 2011,
Jockey opened the doors to the new 6,000
square foot Jockey Factory Store in downtown
Kenosha. KABA also announced its move to the
same historic building. In addition, the space will
be used to showcase Lemon Street Gallery and
to hold Gateway Technical College classes.
35
Waxahachie, TX
Waxahachie.
5.8.2.
Consider developing Corridor Management (CM) plans for IH-35 and Hwy 77.
Corridor management includes measures or practices to preserve or protect right-ofway in combination with managing how development occurs along an existing
transportation corridor. (See text box.)
5.8.3.
Meet regularly with area businesses in the area to better understand how mobility
issues might be affecting their operations.
5.8.4.
Continue communicating with various agencies serving Waxahachie’s transportation
needs (i.e., North Central Texas Council of Governments, Ellis County, and Texas
Department of Transportation, etc.).
Many residents and business representatives stated their interest in preserving and expanding
the city’s parks, recreational facilities, and natural amenities. Not only is this a strong value
held within the community, it also makes economic development sense. Communities across
the country clearly recognize the importance of recreation, parks, and preserved natural
resources in their ability to make themselves more attractive to talented workers and new
businesses. Waxahachie’s commitment to recreational facilities is demonstrated by the
investment in the Waxahachie Sports Complex.
5.9.1.
Maintain and enhance city parks and recreational facilities.
5.9.2.
Continue city-wide beautification efforts.
5.9.3.
Explore the long-term feasibility of a Waxahachie Creek “river walk” development
concept in the downtown area.

corridor safety, operations, and
progression;

land use types and intensity;

development patterns, quality, and design
standards;

landscaping and corridor aesthetics;

revitalization and economic development;
and

location and placement of utilities.
STRATEGIC PLAN
5.9. Enhance amenities and public space.
A Corridor Management plan is a long-range
planning document that addresses all aspects of
transportation, land use, and development along
a designated corridor. It is a detailed planning
study on roadway design, access, land use, and
traffic operations. When prepared by
partnerships of local agencies with TxDOT
districts, they are strategic documents that can
be used to guide city policy and private
development decisions such that they are
suitable to the ultimate design and function of the
TxDOT corridor. CM plans can be used to
address:
For more information, see Guidelines on Corridor
Management and Preservation in Texas
published by the Texas Transportation Institute
(http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-5606-P1.pdf).
36
Waxahachie, TX
IMPLEMENTATION
The following matrix combines all the goals, strategies, and actions in a single table. It also includes potential partners and allies as well as a recommended time
horizon for implementation. The purpose of the implementation matrix is to provide a graphic representation when the actions should realistically be implemented and
the most appropriate organizations to carry them out.
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
City –City of Waxahachie; WCC – Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce; BMC – Baylor Medical Center; WDMA – Waxahachie Downtown Merchants Assn.; CVB – Convention &
Visitors Bureau; NCW – Navarro College Waxahachie; SAGU – Southwestern Assemblies of God University, WISD – Waxahachie Independent School District; WSNCT – Workforce
Solutions North Central Texas; WHETF – Waxahachie Higher Education Task Force (proposed); PIT – Plan Implementation Team (proposed)
Ongoing
IMPLEMENTATION
GOAL 1: HEALTHCARE & HIGHER EDUCATION
Pursue higher education and healthcare as long-term target sectors.
1.1. Ensure the long-term success of Baylor Medical Center (BMC).
1.1.1.
Assist the relocation of BMC to its new site along IH-35.
City
1.1.2.
Launch a capital campaign to help finance the new hospital.
BMC, WCC, City


1.1.3.
Work with the developer of the adjacent office building in

BMC, City
marketing the site to healthcare service providers in the region.
1.1.4.
Assist in identifying adaptive reuse alternatives for the existing
City, BMC

hospital building.
1.1.5.
Support BMC’s competitive position by marketing the hospital
BMC, City, WCC

internally and externally.
1.2. Establish a new medical overlay zoning district to encourage new healthcare sector development and employment in the area surrounding the new BMC site and
other targeted areas of the city.
1.2.1.-1.2.3
Establish a new medical overlay zoning district
City

37
Waxahachie, TX
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
Ongoing
1.3. Assist BMC in attracting/retaining talent.
City, WCC, BMC,
NCW, SAGU, WISD
City


IMPLEMENTATION
1.3.1.
Community leaders should be willing to meet with physician
candidates BMC is recruiting to help sell the benefits of working and living
in Waxahachie.
1.3.2.
Promote the development of housing products in Waxahachie
that are desired by healthcare providers and staff.
1.4. Work with WISD and post-secondary institutions to expand medical education programs.
1.4.1.
Encourage and support WISD in the development of allied
health programs in secondary schools to assist in supplying labor force for
BMC and other potential healthcare providers.
1.4.2.
Support the establishment of an upper division nursing
education program or other healthcare-related satellite training facility
operated by a four-year higher education institution in Waxahachie.
WISD, BMC

NCW, BMC, City

1.5. Target medical device companies for recruitment.
1.5.1.
See Strategy 4.2.
1.6. Establish a Waxahachie Higher Education Task Force to evaluate and plan for future higher education needs and investments in the community.
1.6.1.
The task force should be composed of representatives of the
city, local educational institutions (WISD and post-secondary), businesses
(small, medium, and large), economic development, workforce
development, and other important local institutions.
City, WCC, WISD,
NCW, SAGU,
WSNCT

38
Waxahachie, TX
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
ACTIONS
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
Ongoing
1.7. Formalize efforts to attract public four-year degree opportunities to Waxahachie.
WHETF

WHETF
WHETF


WHETF
WHETF
IMPLEMENTATION
1.7.1.
Form a subcommittee within the Higher Education Task Force
focused on expanding four-year degree programs in the city.
1.7.2.
Assemble an information and data packet (hard copy and in
electronic format ) on the community that substantiates the need and the
business case for locating upper division programs in Waxahachie.
1.7.3.
Evaluate financial incentive options to support the expansion of
higher education.
1.7.4.
Develop a marketing and outreach strategy, including the
development of a website.
1.7.5.
Continue meeting with representatives of 4-year colleges and
universities in the state to make the case for locating in Waxahachie.


1.8. Explore the long-term development of a higher education center in Waxahachie.
1.8.1.
Begin evaluating the feasibility of establishing a higher education
center in Waxahachie to house new four-year degree programs.
WHETF

1.9. Support and strengthen the missions of Navarro College and SAGU.
1.9.1.
Engage in cooperative marketing efforts, highlighting
Waxahachie’s education, economic development, and community assets.
1.9.2.
Continue to encourage joint participation by city and college
leadership on relevant boards, commissions, and panels.
City, NCW, SAGU,
WCC
City, NCW, SAGU,
WCC


39
Waxahachie, TX
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
1.10.
Support capital and education program expansion at Navarro College and SAGU.
City, NCW, WHETF

City, NCW

City, WCC, NCW,
SAGU, WHETF

WISD, City, WCC

IMPLEMENTATION
1.10.1. Continue working with the Navarro College administration to
identify opportunities to increase program and degree offerings at the
Waxahachie Campus linked to strategic industries such as advanced
manufacturing, business, healthcare, and information technology.
1.10.2. Maintain open lines of communication with Navarro College
regarding the city’s financial support for capital projects at the
Waxahachie Campus.
1.10.3. Encourage local businesses and nonprofits to financially
support Navarro College and SAGU’s scholarship, capital, and program
needs.
1.11.
Ongoing
Support K-12 excellence at WISD.
1.11.1. Highlight the many educational successes of WISD in
promotional media.
1.11.2. Encourage greater dialogue between the local business
community and WISD.
1.11.3. Foster closer alignment between local economic development
activities and WISD programs.
City, WCC, WISD,
WHETF
City, WCC, WISD,
WHETF


40
Waxahachie, TX
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
Ongoing
GOAL 2: LAND DEVELOPMENT
Encourage the development of sites and buildings needed to accommodate new investment and employment opportunities.
2.1.
Identify and market available sites and buildings for new private development.
2.1.1.
Create an inventory of available privately-held sites.
2.2.
City

City


Evaluate the feasibility of establishing a Waxahachie industrial and business park.
2.2.1.
Engage the real estate development community to determine
the market feasibility of new industrial/commercial site developments and
if public sector involvement is needed.
2.2.2.
Develop a system for evaluating and scoring the various
options.
2.2.3.
Work with an experienced developer and/or engineering firm to
evaluate a chosen site and develop a master plan.
2.2.4.

IMPLEMENTATION
2.1.2.
List the available sites on a new city economic development
website and cross list them on other regional economic development
websites and broker sites.
2.1.3.
Market available sites among site selection consultants and
commercial real estate brokers in the Metroplex.
City
Determine the ownership structure for a park.
2.2.5.
Develop a business plan for the park, including operations,
maintenance, targeted industries/tenants, and pricing structure for lots.
2.2.6.
If the city determines the development of a publicly-owned
industrial park is not feasible, alternative strategies should be considered
to encourage new employment sites.
City

City

City

City

City

City

41
Waxahachie, TX
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
2.3.
Ongoing
Strengthen development standards in targeted residential, retail, and commercial zoning districts to ensure a better, more diverse building and housing stock.
2.5.
IMPLEMENTATION
2.3.1.
Review existing residential, commercial, and retail development
standards for certain zoning districts within the city to identify where and
City

to what extent standards should be strengthened.
2.3.2.
Ensure the zoning and design standards along the IH-35
corridor promote higher quality development and restrict substandard
City

retail and industrial uses.
2.4.
Identify and implement plans for long range water, wastewater, telecommunications, electrical, and road improvements needed to serve new and existing
business growth.
2.4.1.
Evaluate infrastructure availability and quality in future
City

industrial/tech sites.
2.4.2.
Prioritize infrastructure projects based on which development

areas and sites are most suitable for expanding businesses and
City
prospective businesses.
Pursue new development opportunities associated with the Mid-Way Regional Airport.
2.5.1.
Work with Midlothian on joint marketing initiatives associated
with the airport.
2.5.2.
Work in conjunction with adjacent property owners & realty
brokers to develop and maintain a vacant/available land data base for
industrial and commercial development used for shared marketing efforts.
2.5.3.
Consider establishing a separate Airport Development Zone or
Airport Enterprise Zone to provide incentives to attract incremental
aviation-centric and non-aviation traditional businesses to the airport and
adjacent area.
City

City

City

42
Waxahachie, TX
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
2.5.4.
Ensure the utilities, infrastructure and building sites both on the
airport and adjacent to it are ready for business attraction and
city

development by a prospective company.
Ongoing
IMPLEMENTATION
43
Waxahachie, TX
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
Solutions North Central Texas; WHETF – Waxahachie Higher Education Task Force (proposed); PITFs – Plan Implementation Task Forces (proposed)
Ongoing
GOAL 3: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY & TOOLS
Expand the capacity and tools of the community to conduct economic development.
Create task forces to manage the implementation of the plan.
3.1.1.
Create task forces to manage the implementation of the plan.
City, WCC

3.1.2.
Establish a regular meeting schedule.
PITFs

PITFs

3.1.3.
Utilize an online project management (Basecamp) to facilitate
coordination and communication of task force activities.
3.1.4.
Periodically update the Waxahachie City Council on the
progress of implementation.
3.2.
PITFs
IMPLEMENTATION
3.1.

Establish a city economic development fund.
3.2.1.
The City of Waxahachie should create a fund that can be
utilized to support marketing and business retention efforts, recruitment
incentives, and specific development initiatives.
3.3.
Consider the use of other incentive tools.
3.3
Consider other incentive tools.
3.4.
Hire additional economic development staff.
3.4.1.
The city manager and economic development director should
take the lead in interviewing and hiring candidates to fill the economic
development specialist position.
City

City

City

44
Waxahachie, TX
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
Solutions North Central Texas; WHETF – Waxahachie Higher Education Task Force (proposed); PITFs – Plan Implementation Task Forces (proposed)
3.5.
Ongoing
Build community support for a new economic development alliance.
3.5.
Build community support for a new economic development
alliance.
City, WCC, PIT

Establish a robust business retention and expansion program.
3.6.1.
Build and maintain inventory of existing businesses.
City, WCC, WDMA

3.6.2.
Utilize a CRM system to manage contacts.
City, WCC, WDMA

3.6.3.
Administer a regularly scheduled employer survey.
City, WCC, WDMA

3.6.4.
Conduct business visitations.
City, WCC, WDMA

3.6.5.
Host business roundtables.
City, WCC

3.6.6.
Provide networking opportunities for small businesses.
City, WCC

3.6.7.
Promote Existing Small Business Programs and Services.
City, WCC, WDMA

3.6.8.
Review Existing Regulations.
City
3.6.9.
Have an intervention strategy.
City, WCC

3.6.10.
Report on progress.
City, WCC

IMPLEMENTATION
3.6.

45
Waxahachie, TX
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
Ongoing
GOAL 4: MARKETING & IMAGE
Raise the profile and enhance the image of Waxahachie.
4.1.
Continue efforts to beautify IH-35 gateways to the city.
4.2.
City


City, WCC

City

Ensure the zoning and design standards along the IH-35 corridor promote higher quality development and restrict substandard retail and industrial uses.
4.2.1.
Encourage developers to assemble parcels along IH-35 rather
than develop small scale retail and industrial on smaller lots.
4.2.2.
Review zoning along IH-35 to encourage intense retail,
commercial, residential, and medical development.
4.2.3.
Evaluate and strengthen standards and guidelines on issues
such as site layout, lighting, and landscaping.
4.3.
City, WCC
IMPLEMENTATION
4.1.1.
Complete the IH-35/287 interchange landscape and facade
beautification project.
4.1.2.
Work with TxDOT and state officials to seek funding for
reconfiguring the IH35/287 interchange to improve access and
connectivity.
4.1.3.
Initiate a long-term fundraising campaign to support
beautification initiatives at other key interstate gateways.
4.1.4.
Ensure the zoning along the IH-35 corridor promotes higher
quality development and restricts small-scale retail and industrial uses.
City

City

City

Formalize a business recruitment program.
4.3.1.
Begin building awareness among decision-makers in target
sectors in the Metroplex.
City

4.3.2.
City

Begin building awareness among corporate site selectors.
46
Waxahachie, TX
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
4.3.3.
Actively participate in joint marketing efforts of Dallas Regional
City

Chamber and other regional economic development organizations.
4.3.4.
Establish a prospect management system.
4.4.
Create a new city economic development website.
4.4.
Create a new city economic development website.
4.5.
Influence the image of Waxahachie portrayed on the Web and through social media.
4.6.
City

City

WCC
IMPLEMENTATION
4.5.1.
Assume ownership of Waxahachie’s entry on Wikipedia.
Regularly update the information and data with references.
4.5.2.
Local organizations such as the Waxahachie Chamber of
Commerce should continue using Facebook and Twitter to update and
inform businesses and residents of new announcements, upcoming
events, and salient issues.
Ongoing

WCC, WDMA, others

Reach out to former residents and recent graduates.
4.6.1.
Establish a marketing campaign urging former residents to
“Come Home to Waxahachie.”
WCC, WISD, NCW,
SAGU

47
Waxahachie, TX
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
Solutions North Central Texas; SBDC – Small Business Development Center; WHETF – Waxahachie Higher Education Task Force (proposed); PIT – Plan Implementation Team
(proposed)
Ongoing
GOAL 5: DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
Revitalize Waxahachie’s historic downtown.
5.1.
Establish small business support resources and services in the downtown square.
5.2.
NCW, SBDC, WCC


Explore the use of new financial tools to support downtown business growth.
5.2.1.
Consider establishing a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) focused on
supporting businesses in the central business district.
5.2.2.
Investigate creating a municipal management district or a
business improvement district that overlays the downtown core.
5.2.3.
Consider reducing, abating, or deferring fees to encourage new
businesses to locate downtown.
5.2.4.
Pursue any available state and federal grant funds available for
facilitating downtown revitalization efforts.
5.3.
NCW, SBDC, WCC
IMPLEMENTATION
5.1.1.
Explore maintaining at least a part-time presence in the
downtown square.
5.1.2.
Invite outside business experts to give training and mentoring
workshops in the downtown square.
City

City

City

City

Work with Ellis County to redevelop its vacant offices on West Franklin.
5.3.1.
Hold a developer forum to solicit ideas from the real estate
development community for possible reuse of the offices.
City, Ellis County
5.3.2.
City

City, TIRZ board, Ellis
County

Continue marketing the offices on the city’s website.
5.3.3.
Maintain open lines of communication with the county about
purchasing the offices.

48
Waxahachie, TX
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
(proposed)
5.4.
Regularly track growth and development in the downtown.

City, WCC, WDMA

City, WCC, WDMA

Encourage the attraction of additional professional services businesses to downtown.
5.5.1.
Encourage small professional services firms to locate in
downtown office locations.
5.5.2.
Analyze the telecommunications infrastructure in the downtown
core to ensure it meets the broadband and wireless communications
needs of professional services businesses, especially IT services and
software companies.
5.6.
City, WCC, WDMA
IMPLEMENTATION
5.4.1.
Conduct an annual survey to establish the baseline conditions
of the downtown market.
5.4.2.
With the information obtained in the survey, produce a report
card summarizing the data and achievements towards revitalization
efforts. Include any projects either fully or partially funded with public
funds.
5.4.3.
Publicize reports to local and regional realtors, brokers, and
developers. Post the report card on the WDMA website with links from the
City of Waxahachie’s site and the WCC’s site.
5.5.
Ongoing
City

City

Promote the development of second-story residential options in the downtown square to serve as a catalyst for commercial development..
5.6.1.
Review and amend the city comprehensive plan and zoning
guidelines to allow for greater densities for downtown residential
development.
City

49
Waxahachie, TX
ACTIONS
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
TIMEFRAME
0 to 6
6 to 12
1 to 2
3 to 5
6 to 10
months
months
years
years
years
(proposed)
5.7.
Pursue a long-term strategy of securing a downtown anchor tenant(s).
City, WCC, WDMA

City, WCC, WDMA

IMPLEMENTATION
5.7.1.
Encourage the development of a flagship mixed-use project that
includes niche retail, entertainment options, fine dining, and residential
units.
5.7.2.
Promote destination retail among the mix of uses in the flagship
anchor project.
5.8.
Ongoing
Support road improvements to key thoroughfares connecting the downtown to IH-35 and Hwy 287.
5.8.1.
Continue working to improve mobility issues along Highway 77,
West Main, and other key city thoroughfares.
5.8.2.
Consider developing Corridor Management (CM) plans for IH35 and Hwy 77.
5.8.3.
Meet regularly with area businesses in the area to better
understand how mobility issues might be affecting their operations.
5.8.4.
Continue communicating with various agencies serving the
Waxahachie’s transportation needs.
City

City

City

City

5.9.
Enhance amenities and public space.
5.9.1.
Maintain and enhance city parks and recreational facilities.
City

5.9.2.
Continue city-wide beautification efforts.
City

5.9.3.
Explore the long-term feasibility of a Waxahachie Creek “river
walk” development concept in the downtown area.
City

50
Waxahachie, TX
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
An important piece of any strategic plan is developing the metrics by which the success of the plan’s implementation will be measured and tracked. While it is difficult
to directly connect the success of any economic development plan to local-level macro-economic statistics (e.g., median household income), tracking some economic
indicators provides a general understanding of the relative economic vitality of Waxahachie. TIP recommends the City of Waxahachie and its economic development
partners use the following indicators to measure program effectiveness and economic growth in the community.
SUGGESTED METRIC
DATA SOURCE
Assessed value of developed land
County tax assessor
Number of private establishments
Number of new businesses formed/attracted in target sectors
Total Employment
Jobs and investment resulting from new business formation and attraction in target sectors
Annual payroll
Median earnings for workers
Population over 25 with a Bachelor's degree or higher
Population over 25 with an Associate's degree
Business interviews, surveys, media, and
business license records
U.S. Census Bureau
Data Source: Zip Code Business Patterns
http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/index.html
internal records
U.S. Census Bureau
internal records
U.S. Census Bureau
U.S. Census - American FactFinder
http://factfinder2.census.gov
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Amount of new business investment
51
Waxahachie, TX
APPENDIX A: ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
To provide a common framework for our recommendations, TIP began by compiling demographic and economic data on Waxahachie. The purpose is to understand
Waxahachie’s relative economic position and highlight its competitive advantages and disadvantages.
About the data
We based our findings on the following elements:
A review of relevant studies, plans, and other material
provided by the City of Waxahachie and others;

A review of economic and demographic data from
primary and secondary sources, including the US
Census Bureau, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and
Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. (EMSI).

The data and analysis is organized within five
categories: demographics, migration and mobility,
income and housing, economy, and workforce.
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT

52
Waxahachie, TX
Demographics
Waxahachie added about 11,000 new residents
since 1990, an increase of almost 65 percent
over the 20 year period. While the compound
annual growth rate from 1990 to 2000 was 1.9
percent, growth accelerated between 2000 and
2010 to a compound annual rate of 3.2 percent.
Figure 1. City of Waxahachie population
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
When populations grow this rapidly, it is
sometimes difficult to accurately estimate annual
changes that occur between 10-year census
periods. Between 2000 and 2010, for example,
the Census Bureau may have slightly
overestimated growth. This creates the
appearance that growth stalled between 2009
and 2010, when in fact this may not have been
the case.
Source: Texas State Data Center; US Census Bureau
53
Waxahachie, TX
Demographics
While the population in Waxahachie grew 65
percent, the total population of Ellis County grew
75 percent between 1990 and 2010. As a result,
Waxahachie’s share of the county’s population
declined slightly from 21 percent in 1990 to 20
percent in 2010.
Figure 2. Ellis County's population outlook
Multiple growth scenarios
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
The Texas State Data Center (SDC) prepares
multiple scenarios of population growth. In the
early 2000s, the Texas SDC released three
scenarios for Ellis County based on the overall
pace of migration. During the course of the
decade, the county's population tracked closest
to the high-growth scenario. If Ellis County were
to continue tracking the Texas SDC's high-growth
scenario, the county's population could reach
250,000 in the next 15 years, and perhaps
375,000 by 2040.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Moody's Analytics; Texas State Data Center (0.0 no-migration scenario, 0.5 half migration scenario, and 1.0 full
migration scenario)
54
Waxahachie, TX
Demographics
Figure 3 shows the population age distribution for
the city, county, MSA, state, and nation. Overall,
Waxahachie is home to a relatively young
population, with 55 percent of the city’s
population below the age of 35. This ratio is
similar to that of the state and region.
Figure 3. Comparative population distribution by age
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
About 57 percent of Waxahachie's population is
of working age (20-64). In comparison, the
percentage of the population who are working
age is 61 percent for the DFW Metroplex and 59
for the state and nation, respectively.
This slight deficit can be explained by a couple of
factors. The Southwestern Assemblies of God
University (SAGU) is located in Waxahachie and
maintains an enrollment of just over 2,000
students, many of which live on campus. These
students are part of the youth and young adult
cohorts. In addition, the seniors cohort (65+) is
slightly larger than the region and state, which
reflects a growing retiree population in
Waxahachie.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey, 2005-2009 average)
55
Waxahachie, TX
Demographics
The age composition of Ellis County is expected
to hold relatively steady over the next 20 years.
Figure 4. Ellis County population distribution by age
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
The county's outlook is remarkably different from
much of the rest of the country where the senior
population is increasing rapidly and other age
groups are narrowing as a share of the total
population. For example, seniors are expected to
account for about 14 percent of the population in
Ellis County in 2030. In comparison, about 20
percent of the total US population in 2030 will be
seniors.
The only age group projected to experience a
percentage decrease in the county is the
experienced working age population age 35-64.
However, young adults and youth as a share of
the county’s population are projected to remain
constant.
Such trends will influence the future structure of
the county’s labor force, housing stock,
educational facilities, demand for public services,
etc.
Source: US Census Bureau; Moody's Analytics
56
Waxahachie, TX
Demographics
About 29 percent of Waxahachie's residents are
enrolled in some form of educational program
ranging from preschool to graduate school. This
is a higher ratio than the national, state, or DFW
averages. Much of the differential results from
above-average enrollment in post-secondary
education. The presence of Navarro College and
SAGU both contribute to this share.
Figure 5. Current enrollment status of the population
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
57
Waxahachie, TX
Demographics
Figure 6. Demographic comparison
Homeownership
USA
Home
Owner
Renter
67%
33%
Dallas-Fort Worth MSA
63%
37%
Ellis County
76%
24%
City of Waxahachie
61%
39%
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
The rate of homeownership in
Waxahachie is significantly lower than
in Ellis County as a whole. Whereas
61 percent of residents in the city own
a home, over three-quarters of
residents in the county are
homeowners. Waxahachie’s rate is
more closely aligned to the Metroplex
average (63 percent). Homeownership
rates for the MSA and the city both
trail the US average (67 percent).
58
Waxahachie, TX
Migration & Mobility
Figure 7. Ellis County migration patterns
Annual changes in county-of-residence showing inbound versus outbound movers
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
The US Internal Revenue Service tracks changes
in the number and location of income tax
exemptions. This administrative data (a biproduct of filing an annual tax return) can be
used to count the gross number of people
moving into and out of a county over time. Over
the past 20 years in Ellis County, the number of
inbound movers has increased faster than the
number of outbound movers. In recent years,
Ellis County has attracted about 10 new
residents for every seven who leave the county.
Note: Figures above show total cross-county movement for the 9-county region, including county-to-county movements that are both internal to
the region and external.
Source: US Internal Revenue Service, county-to-county migration flows; Moody's Analytics
59
Waxahachie, TX
Census data reinforce the pattern shown in the
IRS data. Domestic in-migration became the key
contributor to Ellis County's population growth in
the mid-1990s and this pattern continues today.
Even though in-migration peaked in 2006 and
subsequently declined, it still continues to be the
leading contributor to the county's overall
population growth.
Figure 8. Components of growth in Ellis County
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
Natural increase (the net of county birth
certificates and death certificates) has increased
slowly but steadily over the past decade. Both
natural increase and foreign in-migration tend to
show less volatility over time than does domestic
in-migration, which depends much more on
business growth cycles and regional economic
conditions.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census; Moody's Analytics
60
Waxahachie, TX
Annual net migration into (out of) Ellis County from the selected counties
TX
TX
+2400
+2200
+2000
+1800
+1600
+1400
+1200
+1000
+800
+600
+400
+200
0
-200
1989
TX
2008
TX
1989
TX
2008
TX
1989
TX
2008
Henderson
County
1989
Denton
County
2008
Johnson
County
1989
Collin
County
2008
Navarro
County
1989
Tarrant
County
2008
Dallas
County
2008
inbound (net moving into Ellis County)
outbound (net leaving Ellis County)
+2400
+2200
+2000
+1800
+1600
+1400
+1200
+1000
+800
+600
+400
+200
0
-200
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
Migration patterns are also relatively
strong with other counties in the
region, although the numbers of
inbound and outbound moves tend to
cancel each other out. Navarro, Collin,
Johnson, Denton, and Henderson are
among the counties where inbound
and outbound movement tends to
maintain a degree of parity from year
to year.
Figure 9. Counties with historically high migration patterns with Ellis County
1989
According to IRS filings, Ellis County
draws the vast majority of its new
residents from Dallas County. Inmigration from Tarrant County is also
positive, but the scale is much less
than Dallas County.
Source: US Internal Revenue Service, county-to-county migration flows; Moody's Analytics
61
Waxahachie, TX
Many exurban cities like Waxahachie located on
the edge of a major metropolitan area tend to
become bedroom communities over time, as
residents commute into the urban or suburban
areas to work. Waxahachie does not yet fit this
pattern.
Figure 10. Net daily inbound and outbound commuter traffic for Waxahachie
The city's net balance of inbound traffic has begun to narrow
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
More people commute into Waxahachie for a job
than there are residents who commute out to
somewhere else. The advantage of inbound over
outbound commuters, however, is small and has
narrowed during the recent recession.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Local Employment Dynamics (LED) database, 2002-2009
62
Waxahachie, TX
Net outbound from Waxahachie mostly to Dallas; most inbound from Ennis
inbound (net commuting into the City of Waxahachie)
outbound (net commuting out of the City of Waxahachie)
2009
2002
Ennis
2009
Red Oak
2002
2009
Corsicana
2002
2009
Midlothian
2002
2009
2002
Fort Worth
2009
2002
DeSoto
2009
2002
Houston*
2009
2002
Irving
2009
Dallas
+300
+200
+100
0
-100
-200
-300
-400
-500
-600
-700
-800
-900
-1000
-1100
-1200
-1300
-1400
-1500
-1600
-1700
+300
+200
+100
0
-100
-200
-300
-400
-500
-600
-700
-800
-900
-1000
-1100
-1200
-1300
-1400
-1500
-1600
-1700
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
The net balance of Waxahachie's
inbound commuters does not appear
to be coming from the Metroplex.
Instead, it is the surrounding counties
that provide most of the city's
additional labor needs. Waxahachie
nets more workers from Ennis and
Red Oak than anywhere else in the
area.
Figure 11. Major commuting patterns between Waxahachie and other cities
2002
Figure 11 displays net inbound and
outbound commuting figures between
Waxahachie and other cities between
2002 and 2009. Not surprisingly, most
residents who commute out of
Waxahachie head to work in Dallas,
Fort Worth, and Irving.
*may include local residents who take cyclical assignments from Houston-based energy companies, including overseas or offshore projects. This is not
necessarily a daily commute.
63
Waxahachie, TX
Variances by age and income
inbound (net commuting into the City of Waxahachie)
outbound (net commuting out of the City of Waxahachie)
+1000
+900
+800
+700
+600
+500
+400
+300
+200
+100
0
-100
-200
-300
-400
-500
-600
-700
-800
by annual earnings
+1000
+900
+800
+700
+600
+500
+400
+300
+200
+100
0
-100
-200
-300
-400
-500
-600
-700
-800
+1000
+900
+800
+700
+600
+500
+400
+300
+200
+100
0
-100
-200
-300
-400
-500
-600
-700
-800
2009
>$40,000
2002
2009
$15k to $40k
2009
2002
<$15,000
2009
2002
55 or older
2009
2002
2009
30 to 54
2002
by age cohort
Under 29
+1000
+900
+800
+700
+600
+500
+400
+300
+200
+100
0
-100
-200
-300
-400
-500
-600
-700
-800
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
The chart to the rights shows
commuting patterns by annual
earnings. In most years between 2002
and 2009, Waxahachie experienced a
net outflow of higher wage earners.
This trend became quite pronounced
during the recent recession.
Figure 12. Waxahachie's commuting patterns by socio-demographic characteristics
2002
Commuting patterns by age have
changed only moderately over the
past several years. The chart to the
left shows that across all age cohorts
Waxahachie enjoys a net inflow of
workers. The only variance occurred
in 2009 when there was a minimal net
outflow of older workers.
64
Waxahachie, TX
inbound (net commuting into City of Waxahachie)
outbound (net commuting out from City of Waxahachie)
+1700
+1600
+1500
+1400
+1300
+1200
+1100
+1000
+900
+800
+700
+600
+500
+400
+300
+200
+100
0
-100
-200
-300
-400
Prof.
Services
2009
Construction
2009
2002
Finance &
insurance
2009
2002
Oil &
gas
2009
2002
2009
2002
Agriculture
2009
2002
Healthcare
2009
2002
Education
services
2009
2002
Hotels,
bars, &
restnts.
2009
2002
Transport
& warehousing
2009
2002
2002
Retail
trade
2009
Mfg.
+1700
+1600
+1500
+1400
+1300
+1200
+1100
+1000
+900
+800
+700
+600
+500
+400
+300
+200
+100
0
-100
-200
-300
-400
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
On the other hand, Waxahachie
residents who work in finance,
construction, and professional
services are more likely to commute
out of the city to get to a job
elsewhere.
Figure 13. Net daily commuter flow to/from Waxahachie by economic sector
2002
Net inbound commuting to
Waxahachie is concentrated in
manufacturing, retail trade, and
transportation. In other words, many of
the city's jobs in these three sectors
are not filled by the city's residents. A
surplus of these jobs is being filled by
people from outside of Waxahachie's
city limits.
65
Waxahachie, TX
Income & Housing
Waxahachie's median income
($46,314) lags the county ($58,809)
even though home prices are slightly
more expensive. Reflecting the peak
years of domestic in-migration to Ellis
County, nearly one-quarter of the
home in Ellis County and the city of
Waxahachie have been built since
2000.
Figure 14. Household comparison
Household size, income, and housing stock
Household profile
Persons per HH
Median HH income
Median home value
Affordability ratio*
24%
25%
19%
12%
20%
Housing stock
Occupied
Vacant
88%
12%
Age of housing stock
Built since 2000
1980-1999
1960-1979
WWII-1959
Built pre-WWII
11%
29%
28%
17%
14%
Dallas-Fort Worth MSA
Ellis County
City of Waxahachie
2.60
$51,425
$185,400
3.6
2.84
$55,459
$143,900
2.6
3.03
$58,809
$134,100
2.3
2.76
$46,314
$127,000
2.7
████████████████
█████████████████
█████████████
████████
██████████████
20%
25%
19%
13%
24%
██████████████
█████████████████
████████████
████████
████████████████
90%
10%
███████
███████████████████
███████████████████
████████████
██████████
19%
38%
27%
12%
4%
19%
22%
21%
16%
22%
█████████████
███████████████
██████████████
███████████
███████████████
93%
7%
█████████████
██████████████████████████
██████████████████
████████
██
24%
41%
19%
9%
7%
27%
25%
22%
13%
13%
███████████████████
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
HH income distrib.
<$25,000
$25,000-$50,000
$50,000-$75,000
$75,000-$100,000
>$100,000
USA
█████████████████
███████████████
█████████
████████
92%
8%
█████████████████
████████████████████████████
█████████████
██████
████
23%
29%
18%
18%
11%
████████████████
████████████████████
████████████
████████████
████████
*Note: The affordability ratio is the median home value divided by the median household income. The "ratio" equates the home prices to raw earning potential
(expressed in years of gross income needed to pay for the home). The lower the number, the more affordable the housing. Median household income for the
9-county region is an average of the counties weighted by the number of households. Median home prices in each county are weighted by the number of
occupied housing units to estimate the 9-county median.
66
Waxahachie, TX
Income & Housing
Waxahachie's income tends to follow
a slightly lower distribution curve than
the US overall. The city does,
however, show a marginal "spike" of
middle income households where
earnings tend to be between $50,000
and $75,000.
Figure 15. Distribution of household income
Share of total households by income level
US average
City of Waxahachie
25%
20%
15%
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
10%
5%
0%
67
Waxahachie, TX
Income & Housing
Waxahachie's affordability index (2.7)
is slightly above the averages for the
county, the MSA, and the state. While
home prices are not out of line with
the DFW average, incomes do tend to
be lower, so this pushes the
affordability index up. Still, when
compared to the US average,
Waxahachie's housing is quite
affordable.
Figure 16. Housing affordability ratios
Waxahachie's housing is more affordable than the rest of the nation
Median
home
value
$300,000
$275,000
$250,000
$225,000
$200,000
$175,000
$150,000
$125,000
$100,000
$75,000
$50,000
$25,000
$0
USA Dallas-Fort Worth
Metroplex
Ratios > 3.6 are
less affordable
than the US
average
City of Waxahachie
Texas
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
The easy rule-of-thumb for measuring
housing affordability is the ratio of
median home price to median
household income. This ratio is
essentially the number of years a
typical household would need to pay
for a median-priced housing unit if, in
theory, 100 percent of income were
applied to the principal until it was paid
off. Therefore, the lower the ratio, the
more affordable the housing.
Ellis County
Ratios < 3.6 are more affordable
than the US average
$0
$10,000
$20,000
$30,000
$40,000
$50,000
$60,000
$70,000
$80,000
Median household income
Note: Bubble sizes reflect relative affordability: Waxahachie (2.7), Ellis County (2.3), Dallas-Fort Worth MSA (2.6), Texas average (2.5), US average (3.6)
68
Waxahachie, TX
Economy
Unemployment rates nationwide rose to record
highs during the Great Recession.
Figure 17. Average annual unemployment rate, 1990-2011 (%)
The current jobless rate in Texas is less than the
national average. This is also true for the
Metroplex as well as Ellis County and the City of
Waxahachie.
▬
●
Latest 2011 unemployment rate relative to the historical 20-year range
= unemployment rate range since January 1990
= latest unemployment rate
11%
10%
9%
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
8%
7%
6%
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%
US
Texas
Dallas-Fort
Worth MSA
Ellis County
City of
Waxahachie
Note: Because seasonal adjustment is not available for all jurisdictions, none of the rates shown (including comparables) are seasonally
adjusted.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPS (US rate) and LAUS (state & county rates)
69
Waxahachie, TX
Economy
Until as recently as 2007, Waxahachie had
consistently run a higher rate of unemployment
than the Metroplex average. Since 2007, the
city's jobless rate has dovetailed remarkably
close to the DFW average.
Figure 18. Unemployment rates compared
City has converged with the regional employment cycle
12-month moving average of the seasonally unadjusted jobless rates
DFW MSA
Waxahachie
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
9.0%
8.5%
8.0%
7.5%
7.0%
6.5%
6.0%
5.5%
5.0%
4.5%
4.0%
3.5%
3.0%
2.5%
2.0%
1.5%
1.0%
0.5%
0.0%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (state & county rates)
70
Waxahachie, TX
Economy
The unemployment rolls in Waxahachie
increased sharply in 2009. At year-end 2008,
fewer than 800 of the city's residents were
claiming unemployment, but six months later, this
number peaked near 1,200 -- about a 50 percent
increase in the overall level.
Unemployment trends of Waxahachie residents over the past three years
Monthly unemployment numbers are not seasonally adjusted, so they can only be compared to the same month in the previous year
Year Month
2011 Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2010 Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2009 Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2008 Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Number
Unemployed
1,026
1,035
1,077
1,137
1,158
1,131
1,145
1,099
1,121
1,119
1,173
1,052
1,114
1,118
1,085
1,124
1,044
1,102
1,096
1,106
1,132
1,165
1,110
939
839
903
893
890
776
714
670
668
699
687
690
614
◄ worse
Rolling 12-month
Net Change
-88
-83
█
███████████
██
████
██████
███████████
███████████████████████████
█████████████████████
███████████████████
███████████████████████
██████████████████████████
██████████████████████████████████████
██████████████████████████████████████████
███████████████████████████████████████████
███████████████████████████████████████████
███████████████████████████████████████████████
██████████████████████████████████████████
████████████████████████████████
████████████████████████████████
████████████████████████████████
█████████████████████████████████
███████████████████████████
███████████████████████
██████████████████
███████████████
████████████
████████████
███████████
███████████
████████████
-8
+13
+114
+29
+49
-7
-11
-46
+63
+113
+275
+215
+192
+234
+268
+388
+426
+438
+433
+478
+420
+325
+322
+328
+330
+275
+230
+183
+159
+120
+128
+114
+113
+123
better ►
████████
████████
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
As of April 2011, just over 1,000 of the city's
residents still claim unemployment -- an
improvement from the peak level, but still a long
way from recovery.
Figure 19. The unemployment rolls
█
████
Note: LAUS survey data reflect local household employment, i.e., the job status of employed residents. This is not the same as the local job
base.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS program
71
Waxahachie, TX
Economy
Waxahachie's job base peaked in 2008 at just
over 22,000 and has not yet regained that level.
However, the recessionary dip was very mild.
Figure 20. The job base in the City of Waxahachie*
Job growth stalled in 2009 and 2010 but didn't fall significantly
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
*Note: Waxahachie is defined here as the sum of zip codes 75165, 75167, and 75168.
Source: EMSI Complete Employment - 2nd Quarter 2011 preliminary
72
Waxahachie, TX
Economy
Waxahachie's job base currently totals just under
22,000, with the largest share of workers (15
percent) working in manufacturing.
Figure 21. Job base by industry sector in Waxahachie, 2010
Retail, healthcare, and government (which
includes the county courthouse and local public
schools) are the next largest sectors.
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
73
Waxahachie, TX
Economy
This chart compares the region's job growth in
the most recent 4-year period (2007 through
2010) with the previous four years (2003 through
2006).
Figure 22. Job growth by industry sector in Waxahachie since 2003
Manufacturing was the only sector to lose jobs in
both periods, shrinking by about 800 jobs.
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
Many of the other sectors actually gained jobs
during both periods. Transportation/warehousing
and healthcare were the sectors adding the most
jobs during this period.
74
Waxahachie, TX
Demographics
Oil, gas, & mining
Manufacturing
Transportation & warehousing
Agriculture, forestry, & fishing
▲
above
3.0
2.75
2.50
ABOVE
A few industries, including professional services,
arts & recreation, and information and media, are
sparsely represented in the city, according to LQ
analysis.
Retail trade
Restaurants, bars, & hotels
Personal & other services
Construction
Property sales & leasing
Finance & insurance
Administrative services
Government (incl. public ed.)
Information & media
Arts & recreation
3.00
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
Oil & gas, manufacturing, transportation, and
agriculture are the sectors in the region with
above average concentration ratios (i.e., greater
than 1.25).
Professional services
US average for each industry = 1.00
regional strength > 1.25
regional weakness < 0.75
Healthcare & social assistance
Location quotient analysis
Educational services (excl. public ed.)
Figure 23. Waxahachie industry sector strengths relative to the US
Wholesale trade
Location quotients show a local area's strengths
and weaknesses in various industries relative to
national employment patterns. For example, an
LQ of 2.00 means that for every person in the
nation employed in that sector, two people are
employed locally.
2.25
2.00
1.75
1.50
AVERAGE
1.25
1.00
0.75
BELOW
0.50
0.25
0.00
75
Waxahachie, TX
Workforce
Figure 24. Educational attainment
Highest level of education achieved by the population age 25 or older
no high school diploma
high school diploma or GED
some college but less than a 4-year degree
bachelor's degree or higher
USA
Texas
15%
25%
28%
29%
28%
DallasFort Worth
MSA
18%
21%
19%
City of
Waxahachie
18%
30%
21%
19%
24%
26%
28%
Ellis
County
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
This figure shows educational
attainment levels for residents age 25
or older. Of primary concern for
Waxahachie is the comparative share
of adult residents holding at least a
bachelor’s degree (21 percent). For
the Dallas-Fort Worth MSA overall, 30
percent have earned at least a fouryear degree. In fact, college
attainment levels in the Metroplex
exceed the national average and this
skilled labor pool is one of the draws
for employers locating in the region.
31%
31%
29%
31%
28%
76
Waxahachie, TX
Workforce
This figure shows the number of jobs
per occupational group in the city for
2010. Rather than the industries
people are employed in (e.g.,
manufacturing), occupations are the
types of positions people are
performing (e.g., production).
Figure 25. 2010 job base by occupational group in Waxahachie*
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
In Waxahachie, sales occupations are
the most prevalent type of job. These
occupations are tied closely to the
city’s strong retail sector. Office and
administrative support are the second
most common type of occupation.
The number three ranking
occupational group in the city during
2010 was Management, which can be
misleading. This group includes selfemployed farmers and ranchers, while
a separate "farming" category includes
mostly agricultural support workers.
The management category also
includes self-employed realtors and
construction managers.
Over 2,100 jobs were tied to
production (manufacturing) in 2010.
77
Waxahachie, TX
Workforce
Figure 26. Occupational job trends in Waxahachie*, 2007 through 2010
A wide gap in the types of jobs gained and lost…
2007
2008
2009
Overall
Net
Change
2010
Management
Food preparation & serving
Business & financial operations
Sales
Healthcare (technical)
Protective service
Healthcare (support)
Personal care & service
Property maintenance
Legal
Education, training, & library
Installation, maintenance, & repair
Life, physical, & social science
Computer & mathematical science
Arts, design, & media
Military
Farming, fishing, & forestry
Community & social services
Architecture & engineering
Construction & extraction
Transportation & material moving
Office & administrative support
Production
+300
+200
+100
+0
-100
-200
-300
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
+279
+153
+141
+99
+95
+64
+48
+39
+38
+35
+33
+22
+22
+20
+18
+14
+12
+8
-9
-23
-34
-50
-327
-400
Job performance in Waxahachie between 2007
and 2010 has differed across occupational
groups. Blue-collar jobs in production,
transportation, and construction have been
among those suffering losses. However, other
occupations have grown steadily during this
same period. Jobs in management, business
services, sales, food services, and healthcare
experienced decent growth during the period.
78
Waxahachie, TX
Workforce
Legal
Life, physical, & social science
Computer & mathematical science
Management
Protective service
Production
Military
Sales
$85
$80
$75
$70
$65
$60
$55
$50
$45
$40
$35
$30
$25
$20
$15
$10
$5
$0
Circle represents the county median; line represents the national range between the 10th and 90th percentiles
However, across all occupational groups,
Waxahachie is at the low end of the DFW
region’s wage range.
County median wage presented in the context of the national wage range
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
At the other end of the spectrum, support
workers in agriculture, food service, property
maintenance, and healthcare support earn
median wages that skirt just above the minimum
wage.
Figure 27. Median hourly wage rate by occupational group
Skilled workers in Waxahachie draw higher
salaries than other occupational groups.
Healthcare professionals, educators, legal
professionals, and engineers command the city's
highest median wages.
79
Waxahachie, TX
Workforce
Figure 28. Occupational group concentrations in Waxahachie
Production
Management*
Sales
Legal
Protective service
Computers & mathematics
Life & physical sciences
ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
Military
Highly trained occupational groups such as
computer technicians, engineers, and scientists
are only sparsely represented within the local
workforce.
US average for each industry = 1.00
Regional strength > 1.25
Regional weakness < 0.75
Location quotient analysis
Production and transportation workers maintain
the highest location quotients of any occupational
groups. For a city of Waxahachie's size, these
types of jobs are disproportionately located here.
3.00
2.75
2.50
ABOVE
2.25
2.00
1.75
1.50
AVERAGE
1.25
1.00
0.75
BELOW
0.50
0.25
0.00
*Note: Managers includes self-employed real estate agents and farmers & ranchers as well as construction managers and general managers.
**Note: Waxahachie is defined here as the sum of zip codes 75165, 75167, and 75168.
80
Waxahachie, TX
APPENDIX B: TARGET INDUSTRIES
TARGET SECTORS
The selection of target sectors is traditionally bound to an assessment of
only a few determinant factors, such as access to an available
workforce, industrial sites, and incentives. Our target industry
recommendations are not based solely on these factors, but also on
conversations with local business leaders to better understand potential
opportunities and challenges that might not be readily identifiable
through secondary data sources alone. The TIP team also brings to
bear its understanding of broader macroeconomic and social trends,
such as consumption patterns/consumer spending, emerging
markets/international trade, and demographic shifts/aging workforce to
better understand long-term recruitment and development prospects.
TIP also strongly takes into consideration how the potential targets
might fit within the overall strategic framework of the economic
development plan, as well as how each might affect Waxahachie’s
attractiveness to existing and future residents. Finally, TIP assessed the
local development potential of possible industry targets within the
context of the greater DFW Metroplex. In sum, TIP identified target
sectors for the county, using a three-pronged approach: quantitative,
qualitative, and strategic.
TIP examined both traditional and nontraditional target opportunities for Waxahachie. Traditional targets represent the types of industries that have historically been
marketed to by economic development organizations. These might typically include traditional manufacturing sectors as well as other related industrial and/or
transportation activities. Traditional targets often represent the first tier of economic opportunity. While a number of such economic activities take place in Waxahachie,
nationally the number of traditional industrial investment prospects is limited. This is not to suggest there will be no manufacturing, transportation, and distribution
opportunities for the county. Indeed, several high-quality traditional employers have located in Ellis County in recent years. However, much of the regional employment
growth in recent years has occurred in non-industrial sectors, especially in professional services and healthcare. As a result, the TIP team considered a number of
other non-traditional targets to assist in diversifying the city’s economy in higher growth sectors.
81
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
Higher Education
DFW job
growth 2010-20
+7,321
Selected Standard Occupational
Codes (SOC)
Education administrators, postsecondary
| 11-9003 |
Postsecondary teachers
| 25-1099 |
Public higher education is not considered a traditional industry sector. EMSI
classifies public education within local government. Therefore, to better define
the sector, we have used the US Department of Labor's Standard Occupational
Codes (SOC) for postsecondary administrators and teachers. Navarro College
and Southwestern Assemblies of God University are the two post-secondary
institutions in Waxahachie.
Trends to
watch
Education, along with healthcare, fared relatively well during the Great Recession
Job Growth
and subsequent recovery. In times of high unemployment, many people unable
to find work often choose to obtain additional education in order to improve their DFW
Texas
career prospects once the economy recovers. Indeed, enrollment at Navarro
U.S.
College Waxahachie has been increasing in recent years.
TARGET SECTORS
Description
Outlook (2010-2020)
28%
26%
13%
Sector Overview
The higher education center concept is growing in popularity nationally and in
Texas. A higher education center may be a multi-institutional entity or a single
university/college enterprise. Centers are often located on community college
campuses. They may include agreements in which a host institution brings to the
area or to its campus programs offered by another institution. Centers also may
include colocation of two- and four-year institutions or multiple four-year
institutions sharing a site. In recent years, highe education centers have been
establihed in McKinney, Round Rock, and Midlothian.
DFW Jobs
DFW Annual Openings
DFW Location Quotient
26,438
1,530
0.72
DFW Median Wage/Hr
US Median Wage/Hr
$39.36
$37.41
Staffing Patterns
Gender
Male
Female
Pct. of jobs
39%
61%
Sourse: EMSI
82
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
Local
prospects
Challenges
Higher Education
■■■■□
Site considerations
[1] Competition from other communities vying for four-year
campuses.
[2] Declining state funding for higher education institutions in Texas.
[3] Allocating local public funding sources to support new higher
education facilities in Waxahachie.
TARGET SECTORS
Opportunities [1] The area's growing population make it attractive to four-year
institutions to locate upper division degree programs.
[2] Partnering with Baylor to attract new upper division education and
training programs in healthcare.
[3] Expanding the number of local residents with post-secondary
education degrees and experience makes the city more attractive to
other industries that employ higher skilled workers.
Access to skilled labor
Access to markets/customers
Availability of land/modern facilities
Regional R&D activities
Regional teaching hospitals
R&D/investment tax incentives
Top Regional Employers
University Of Texas Arlington
University Of Texas
University Of Texas At Dallas
Southern Methodist University
Southw estern Baptist Sem inary
83
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
Healthcare
DFW job
growth 2010-20
+93,340
Selected NAICS codes
Ambulatory Health Care Services
| 621 |
Hospitals
| 622 |
Nursing & Residential Care Facilities
| 623 |
While the US economy is expected to remain sluggish over the next several
years, one sector -- healthcare -- will continue to plod forward at a rapid clip. Over
the next decade, the hospital-related activities will add nearly 600,000 jobs over
the next decade (and these jobs form just a fraction of the much broader
healthcare industries which also includes physician offices, senior care centers,
and health insurance). Much of this growth will occur naturally through demand
forces as American baby boomers begin to cross the threshold into their senior
years.
Trends to
watch
Activities associated with hospitals provided nearly 296,000 DFW jobs at yearJob Growth Outlook (2010-2020)
end 2010. Moreover, this figure is projected to grow by one-third through 2010.
33%
Another plus: hospital-related activities require a wide range of skillsets, offering DFW
21%
job opportunities that meet the diverse capacities of most local workforces. In the Texas
U.S.
20%
region, over three-quarters of workers in this cluster tends are women. This ratio
helps to counterbalance the more male-leaning workforce structures of the other
Sector Overview
targets.
DFW Jobs
295,912
DFW Establishments
12,982
Waxahachie should find opportunities to build upon the relocation of Baylor
0.84
Medical Center to IH-35. A new state-of-the-art hospital located on a high profile
location in a growing metropolitan area should translate into greater healthcare
DFW Avg Earnings/Worker
$63,327
spending and employment opportunities.
US Avg Earnings/Worker
$57,429
TARGET SECTORS
Description
Staffing Patterns
Gender
Male
Female
Occupation
Registered nurses
Nursing aides
Home health aides
Physicians & surgeons
Lic. practical & voc. nurses
Pct. of jobs
23%
77%
Pct. of jobs
12%
8%
6%
5%
4%
Sourse: EMSI
84
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
Local
prospects
Challenges
Healthcare
■■■■□
Site considerations
[1] Identifying adaptive reuse alternatives for the existing hospital
building.
[2] Competition from other hospitals in the region.
[3] Attracting complementary businesses and activities on and near
the site, including high-quality retail, hospitality, and residential
development.
TARGET SECTORS
Opportunities [1] An aging local and regional population translates to inevitable
growth in the healthcare sector.
[2] Hospital-related activities are relatively well insulated from
economic cycles. During the recent recession, healthcare and
education were among the few sectors of the economy to continue
growing.
[3] Healthcare provides jobs across a wide range of skill levels.
[4] New healthcare employment is likely to increase demand for
healthcare education and training programs.
Regional teaching hospitals
Psych Link
Surgical & Outpatient Svc
Baylor Sam m ons Cancer Ctr
Parkland Health & Hospital Sys
Medical City Children's Hospital
Regional Multipliers
Jobs Multiplier
Earnings Multiplier
Sales Multiplier
2.46
1.87
2.35
Industry networking
Health Insurance Association of Am erica
Am er Assn of Hom es & Serv for the Aging
Am erican Healthcare Association
Advanced Medical Technology Assn
Nat'l Assn for Hom e Care & Hospice
Advanced Medical Technology Assn
Am erican Hospital Association
85
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
Medical Devices & Supplies
DFW job
growth 2010-20
+1,451
NAICS codes to emphasize
E le c t ro m e dic a l a nd E le c t ro t he ra pe ut ic
A ppa ra t us M a nuf a c t uring
3 3 4 5 10
A na lyt ic a l La b Ins t rum e nt M a nuf a c t uring
3 3 4 5 16
Irra dia t io n A ppa ra t us M a nuf a c t uring
3 3 4 5 17
M e dic a l E quipm e nt & S upplie s
3391
M e dic a l, D e nt a l, a nd H o s pit a l E quipm e nt a nd
S upplie s M e rc ha nt Who le s a le rs
423450
D rugs a nd D ruggis t s ' S undrie s M e rc ha nt
Who le s a le rs
Description
The primary components of this sector include medical devices, (companies that
develop, manufacture, and market medical apparatus, equipment, instruments,
devices, and supplies) and research.
Trends to
watch
Employment in the sector is forecast to grow by 7.9 percent over the next five
Job Growth Outlook (2010-2020)
years. Between 2015 and 2020, employment in the sector is expected to grow by
DFW
20%
six percent. The graying of the population and growth in worldwide per capita
Texas
13%
incomes and per capita healthcare expenditures are forecast to provide a
U.S.
10%
platform for stable and steady growth for medical devices in the foreseeable
future.
Sector Overview
4 2 4 2 10
DFW Jobs
DFW Establishments
TARGET SECTORS
The US medical device industry accounts for nearly half the world’s medical
device market, and leading US manufacturers often generate roughly half of their
total sales abroad. In recent years, export growth has benefited from the
development of increasingly sophisticated medical devices and an increasing
emphasis by foreign governments to improve the quality of their healthcare
systems.
7,422
265
0.76
$76,391
$91,401
DFW Staffing Patterns
During the last couple decades, Texas has emerged as a major force in medical
Gender
devices, in large part due to state initiatives to grow the sector, university-led
Male
research and the strength of the Texas Medical Center. Between 2005 and 2010, Female
Occupation
the medical device sector attracted over $530 million in venture capital
Dental laboratory techs
investment.
Team assemblers
Ophthalmic laboratory
First-line supervisors
Industrial engineers
Pct. of jobs
54%
46%
Pct. of jobs
8%
7%
4%
3%
2%
Sourse: EMSI
86
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
Local
prospects
Challenges
Medical Devices & Supplies
■■■■□
Site considerations
[1] A site consideration in this sector is proximity to medical school
and teaching hospital as well as healthcare and research centers.
TARGET SECTORS
Opportunities [1] Presence of major healthcare providers locally and within the
Metroplex
[2] Central location along the rapidly growing I-35 megaregion with a
population of approximately 11 million
[3] Availability of regional labor pool
[4] Access to transportation
[5] Greenfield sites
Water & wastewater capacity
Flex Medical
Abbott Laboratories
Chem search Corp
Nch Corp
Med Assets Inc
Jobs Multiplier
Earnings Multiplier
Sales Multiplier
2.80
2.15
2.09
Industry networking
Advanced Medical Technology Association
Medical Device Manufacturers Association
Assn. of Electical & Med Im aging Equip Mfg
Orthopedic Surgical Mfgs Association
Health Industry Distributors Association
87
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
Business & Data Services
DFW job
growth 2010-20
+42,349
Description
This target sector includes shared service centers, corporate and technical
services, data storage and processing, as well as more basic business support
services, such as contract telephone call center operations. This sector also
includes firms that provide data management and support services to
companies, hospitals, governments, and individuals.
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) &
Shared Services
| 5611 | 5612 | 5613 | 5614 |
Data Centers & Data Managem ent
| 5182 |
Shared service centers have proven to be effective models to reduce costs and
increase productivity for organizations managing large-scale operations.
24%
Organizations in both the private and public sector have embraced this model to DFW
Texas
22%
improve their efficiency. The functions most commonly consolidated in shared
U.S.
20%
service centers are finance, human resources, information technology, and
supply chain / procurement. Sales / marketing support, real estate / facilities, and
Sector Overview
legal are becoming more common.
DFW Jobs
184,418
DFW Establishments
5,675
The emergence of broadband internet service has drastically increased demand
1.52
for data centers. Due to the cost of purchasing, maintaining, and operating large
computer servers to store and process data, corporations and individuals alike
$49,778
have moved en masse toward storing information “in the cloud.” As a result, data US Avg Earnings/Worker
$40,373
centers will be the focus of site selection for the foreseeable future as annual
demand for services will continue to increase at double digit rates. Data center
operators are now looking to smaller communities for geographic diversification
Gender
Pct. of jobs
as well as security and risk mitigation.
Male
50%
Female
50%
Occupation
Pct. of jobs
Customer service reps
7%
Laborers and movers
7%
Office clerks
4%
Bill and account collectors
3%
Managers, all others
3%
TARGET SECTORS
Trends to
watch
NAICS codes
Sourse: EMSI
88
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
Local
prospects
Challenges
Business & Data Services
■■□□□
Site considerations
Opportunities [1] Certain types of data services will be a major job generator in the
decade ahead.
[2] Waxahachie's location relative to DFW, competitive utility rates
and water infrastructure, and abundant greenfield sites may present
opportunties to attract companies in this cluster.
Skilled labor force
Affordable, reliable electricity
Buildings with large floor plates
Buildings with under-floor utilities
Disaster-related insurance costs
Competitive tax environment
TARGET SECTORS
[1] Corporate search criteria may include stringent requirements for
utility costs and reliability, location security, and building
construction.
[2] The increasingly interconnected nature of the global economy
has increased the competitive playing field for sites to host data
service operations. Companies that once limited their site selection
to US soil, now often consider sites in Costa Rica, India, and the
Philippines, to name a few. Even law firms now use foreign BPOs
for some of their legal services.
Affiliated Com puter Svc Inc
Dell Services
Flexjet
Cornerstone Staffing
C N Staffing
Jobs Multiplier
Earnings Multiplier
Sales Multiplier
3.43
2.24
2.37
Industry networking
Am erican Council for Trade in Services
Data Interchange Standards Association
Inform ation Technology Industry Council
International Trade Data Users
National Association of Personnel Services
Telecom m unications Industry Association
US Coalition of Services Industries
89
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
DFW job
growth 2010-20
+66,412
NAICS codes
Professional services firms are expected to add 2.4 million jobs over the next
decade. This alone tells us something about where the US economy is headed.
Professional services firms hire educated workers and pay well. For every 20
jobs that the US adds over the next decade, at least 1 will be in a firm providing
professional services, like accounting, law, engineering, or computer services.
Trends to
watch
Professional services firms can be large multinational operations (like
PricewaterhouseCoopers, for example) but more often they are small and
medium-sized (SME) operations that provide administrative or technical services
to the broader local economy. In a region like the Metroplex, this might legal or
computer services or a wide range of other activities.
TARGET SECTORS
Description
Business Services, including Law ,
Accounting, & Advertising
| 5411 | 5412 | 5418 |
Construction Services, including
Engineering, Architecture, & Design
| 5413 | 5414 |
Com puter Services
| 5415 |
Research & Technical Consulting Services
| 5416 | 5417 | 5419 |
DFW
Texas
U.S.
22%
20%
19%
Sector Overview
Professional services firms spring up on their own to service local industries and
the local population. Many legal activities need to be located in or near the CBD
to be close to courts and other government buildings. For all other types of
professional services, there is less need to stay centrally located since
employees and customers may be more likely to be located in middle-class or
affluent suburbs. Attracting these professional services activities can often
become a quality of life issue.
DFW Jobs
DFW Establishments
309,236
22,668
1.13
$78,299
$75,585
Gender
Male
Female
Occupation
Management analysts
Photographers
Accountants and auditors
Lawyers
Managers, all others
Pct. of jobs
57%
43%
Pct. of jobs
7%
6%
6%
5%
3%
Sourse: EMSI
90
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
Local
prospects
Challenges
■■□□□
Site considerations
[1] A lack of modern, Class A office space may deter potential small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from locating in Waxahachie.
[2] Waxahachie may be too far away from the central areas of
Dallas or Fort Worth to be a viable option for many firms.
Airport accessibility & flight options
Class A office options
TARGET SECTORS
Opportunities [1] Professional services firms will be among the big job creators of
the coming decade. These firms tend to hire educated workers and
Lockheed Martin Corp
often pay their employees at rates above the overall median.
Hp Enterprise Svc
Alcon Surgical Inc
[2] Waxahachie may be in a position to attract small professional
Ernst & Young
service firm owners who do not need to be located in central Dallas
Alcon Laboratories Inc
for their business and who prefer a more relaxed environment to live
and work.
[3] The community should target former residents of Waxahachie
Jobs Multiplier
2.43
who own professional service firms or who have professional
Earnings Multiplier
1.82
careers.
Sales Multiplier
2.33
Industry networking
Am er Inst of Certified Public Accountants
Am erican Bar Association
Am erican Consulting Engineers Assn
International Advertising Association
Am erican Institute of Architects
National Society of Professional Engineers
91
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
DFW job
growth 2010-20
+26,068
Wholesale Trade
| 42 |
Support Activities for Rail & Road
Transportation
| 4882 | 4884 |
Freight Transportation & Arrangem ent
| 4841 | 4885 |
Other Transportation Support Acivities
| 4889 |
Warehousing & Storage | 493 |
Truck Transportation | 484 |
Logistics and supply chain establishments provide materials-handling services
and manage the flow of goods as they move from supplier to manufacturer to
retailer and final consumer. These companies use information technology to
manage inventory control and costs. For some firms, especially chain retailers,
this is done in-house. For others, third-party logistics, or 3PL, provide many of
these services, including assembling and repackaging materials, consolidating
orders and shipments, physically delivering goods to customers, processing
returned items, and handling e-commerce fulfillment operations. 3PLs typically
serve a number of clients from a single facility.
Trends to
watch
The days of manually moving bulk cargo manually are gone. Cranes and
hydraulic equipment move heavy cargo today, and the truckers and delivery
10%
persons who transport it from one location to the next are increasingly as likely to DFW
Texas
11%
be women as they are men. For every 4 persons employed in this industry, 1 is
U.S.
9%
now a woman and there is no reason to believe this shift toward more gender
balance in the industry will not continue.
Sector Overview
For an industry that pays reasonably well, the skill requirements for employment
are still basic. Truckers and delivery persons who make up the bulk of the
workforce can participate with less training and technical preparation than those
who choose a manufacturing path.
The logistics/distribution sector employs a large labor force nationwide. More
than 7.3 million work in this industry. Over the coming decade, projections
indicate that this job base will expand by more than 8%, adding nearly 600,000
jobs. In the US, a good deal of the action will be centered on the Gulf Coast due
to the expansion of the Panama Canal, which will expand trade oportunties
between the region and the Pacific Rim.
It's also important to note that the scale of distribution centers is growing. IKEA,
for example, manages its distribution in the western half of the US from a 1.7
million square foot facility it built in Kern County, California, a few years ago.
DFW Jobs
DFW Establishments
271,014
16,574
1.32
$75,612
$67,119
TARGET SECTORS
Description
Gender
Male
Female
Occupation
Truck drivers
Sales reps, non-tech &
Laborers and movers
Sales reps, tech & scie
First-line supervisors
Pct. of jobs
71%
29%
Pct. of jobs
14%
12%
8%
4%
4%
Sourse: EMSI
92
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
Local
prospects
Challenges
■■■■□
Site considerations
[1] The recent recession left a glut of distribution space in the US.
As of mid-2010, the national brokerage Grubb & Ellis estimated the
industrial vacancy rate above 10% for the fifth consecutive quarter.
[2] The industry's exemplary efficiency standards means that large
capital investments may sometimes yield relatively few jobs.
[3] Intense competition in the southern Metroplex for Logisitcs &
Distribution companies.
Proximity to population centers
Quality of transport infrastructure
Large tracts of industrial-zoned land
Intermodal highway & rail options
Availability of semi-skilled labor
Affordable labor rates
TARGET SECTORS
Opportunities [1] Labor force availability is a plus.
[2] Intermodal transportation provides the infrastructure for the
Quexco Inc
logistics/distribution industry to function, and Waxahachie has
Stevens Transport
Republic National Distributing
ground options (highway & rail) well covered.
Ben E Keith Foods
[3] Ample supplies of industrial-zoned land with good transportation
Atco Rubber Products Inc
connections are necessary. Many logistics facilities today exceed 1
million square feet, with sites generating high volumes of ingress
and egress.
Jobs Multiplier
2.92
[4] A steady, uninterrupted supply of affordable electricity is needed Earnings Multiplier
1.99
to support large climate-controlled facilities with IT networks
Sales Multiplier
2.16
operating 24/7.
[5] Food and beverage processing (also a target) shares strong
Industry networking
overlaps with the logistics/distribution sector. Some beverage firms, Am erican Short Line & Regional RR Assn
Am erican Trucking Association
for example, manage their own distribution activities through
Association of Am erican Railroads
franchises. Meanwhile, a number of third-party logistics providers
Industrial Truck Association
specialize in food, grocery, and restaurant distribution.
Interm odal Association of North Am erica
International Assn of Plastics Distributors
Int'l Assn of Refrigerated Warehouses
Int'l Warehouse Logistics Assn
Material Handling Industry of Am erica
93
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
Food Processing
DFW job
growth 2010-20
+1,452
Food Manufacturing
| 311 |
Beverage Manufacturing
| 3121 |
Food and beverage manufacturers process essentially two things: plants and
animals, or in more industry-specific terms, crops and livestock. There are big
names in the industry like Unilever, Kraft, and ADM. The industry is served by
firms specializing in food distribution (more on this in the logistics profile). Less
known are the specialty foods that process, manufacture, distribute, market,
and/or sell niche market foodstuffs for consumption. Their products include
candy and confections, canned and frozen foods, dairy products, edible oils, fish
and seafood, grains, meat products, sauces and condiments, snack foods, and
sugar and other sweeteners.
Trends to
watch
It is no secret that manufacturing has been shedding jobs in fits and starts for
decades. Only a few niches, including certain high-tech products and food and
beverage manufacturing, manage to eke out job growth. This trend will continue
in the decade ahead as food processing firms in the US increase their payrolls
by as much as 50,000 jobs. In an industry that employs 1.7 million, this is not
much of a gain (only about 3% over 10 years), but any gain at all is better than
persistent manufacturing job losses.
DFW
Texas
U.S.
Like other manufacturing industries, food processing employs more men than
women by about a 2-to-1 ratio. The gender balance is not expected to change
significantly over the next decade, nor is the skill composition in the industry. In
fact, the persistence of the skill composition (see graph) may be the reason that
food processing manages to eke out consistent job gains. The nature of the
work requires either labor intensive human activity (e.g., meatpacking) or was
fully automated long ago (e.g., bottling).
The real changes at work involve consumer tastes. The homogenous
marketplace of monolithic labels of the 1950s has yielded shelf space to
specialty brands and ethnic foods. Add to this an increased consumption of
prepackaged foods and an obsession with our pets, including their diets.
TARGET SECTORS
Description
6%
7%
1%
Sector Overview
DFW Jobs
DFW Establishments
23,251
464
0.64
$57,806
$52,309
Gender
Male
Female
Occupation
Packaging mach operators
Food batchmakers
Meat packers
Bakers
Laborers and movers
Pct. of jobs
62%
38%
Pct. of jobs
9%
8%
5%
5%
4%
Sourse: EMSI
94
Waxahachie, TX
Industry
Local
prospects
Food Processing
■■■□□
Site considerations
Challenges
[1] Volatile global food prices could impact production of certain
types of foods.
TARGET SECTORS
Opportunities [1] Food and beverage processing leverages existing, regional
agricultural strengths for more value-added products and
processes.
[2] Foods and beverages are considered nondurable manufactured
goods. In the past, this made them less suitable for export, but the
greater use of refrigerated storage has made exporting possible.
The growth of the highly segmented specialty food market could
increase the opportunities for export-oriented food production.
[3] Livestock processing carries environmental externalities. This
means that some producers may prefer to locate production away
from major population centers, though still within easy one-day
trucking.
[4] Pet food is a growing segment of the US market and is often
overlooked as a subtarget within the food processing sector.
Quality of transport infrastructure
Competitive utility prices
Water & wastewater capacity
Frito-lay North Am erica Inc
Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc
Don Miguel Mexican Foods Inc
Coca-cola Bottling Co
Dean Foods Co
Jobs Multiplier
Earnings Multiplier
Sales Multiplier
7.79
4.83
2.10
Industry networking
Am erican Frozen Food Institute
Food Products Association
Grocery Manufacturers of Am erica
Institute of Food Technologies
Nat'l Assn for Specialty Food Trade
Pet Food Institute
Snack Food Association
95
Waxahachie, TX
APPENDIX C: CONSIDERATIONS FOR FUTURE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL PARKS
Effective planning for a future business and industrial park can take on many dimensions and can move in many directions. A key element of the planning process is
for the developer to establish a vision of how the park should look when fully built out. It is also important to incorporate a financial and investment plan to evaluate and
estimate the capital required to develop the business and industrial park over time, and the potential return on investment that will accrue to the developers. The most
important phase in developing a new business and industrial park is the “concept” phase – it is also the least expensive phase. Creating ideas, exchanging strategies,
evaluating market conditions, and establishing targets for a new business and industrial park tenants is a “pencil on paper” exercise and can be changed fairly easily.
Once a developer begins installing infrastructure, changes become very expensive and time consuming.
Large business and industrial parks are typically planned in phases. This strategy minimizes initial infrastructure investment and optimizes use of the balance of the
property. Mixed-use business and industrial parks become somewhat more problematic. A mixture of high-end office buildings, warehouse and distribution facilities,
and manufacturing plants creates the opportunity for diversified implementation, but also spreads the amount of capital required to prepare and implement
development for the park. Additionally, mixed-use parks, by their very nature, create mixed traffic control requirements (i.e., pedestrian, automotive, and truck traffic
are all present within the park at the same time). Truck entrances and automotive entrances should be separated to the extent possible, and pedestrian traffic should
be planned carefully. Traffic control lights should be used at intersections where automotive, truck, and pedestrian traffic are mixed.
Infrastructure for a new business and industrial park should be planned carefully to provide for the broad range of demands that may be placed on the infrastructure
systems by different types of tenants. The chart on the following page presents generic requirements of selected infrastructure and other requirements by type of
business or industry. It should be noted that these requirements are estimated averages, and are not intended to be absolute for any specific type of business or
industry. The requirements could vary by as much as 100 percent, or more, within the same business classifications based on individual project requirements.
96
SITE CONSIDERATIONS
Large business and industrial parks, i.e. those over 500 acres, require highly flexible planning in the beginning. The first investor in a new park has significant impact
on the initial planning phase and can change development strategies quickly. Developers are always anxious to get the first tenant in place, primarily because nothing
breeds success like success. The fact is, however, many developers compromise initial plans in order to accommodate the first tenant. Hence, flexible planning is a
key to future success.
Waxahachie, TX
Selected Site and Building Requirements
97
Waxahachie, TX
In addition to the generic requirements, the following infrastructure needs should also be incorporated into considerations for a new business and industrial park:
Land Use – Multi-use parks should be subdivided on paper to identify probable uses for office, commercial, warehouse/distribution, manufacturing and any
other anticipated types of tenants. If zoning is required for the park, each of the sub-zones should be appropriately identified, and at least preliminary zoning
actions should be taken. Zoning should be structured so it could be changed or implemented within a 60-day window. It is typical to preserve highway
frontage or highly visible areas within the park area for office/commercial use, and to preserve areas with less visibility for manufacturing and
warehouse/distribution uses.

Transportation Access – The primary route to the park should be an improved, limited access highway, preferably at least two lanes wide with center turn
lanes and acceleration/deceleration lanes at the park entrances. Close proximity to a four-lane, limited access highway or interstate is more desirable. If the
park is targeting heavy to medium manufacturing, rail access is highly desirable. Planning for rail spurs as well as receiving and departure infrastructure is
critically important for rail served sites. Employee traffic and truck traffic should be separated to the extent possible with each having its own entrance and exit
points for the business and industrial park.

Water – Water capacity to the park should be planned to service the highest potential end users. Water supply should take into consideration potable water
requirements, process water requirements and fire protection requirements. Many parks provide all of these through the same system while others provide
each independently, varying based on local conditions and resources. Most business and industrial parks provide an elevated or above-ground water storage
facility to provide emergency water and sustained water flows for specific timeframes. Water service should be planned very carefully since it alone can
become a major limiting or eliminating factor for many types of projects.

Sewer – Sewer requirements for a multi-use park can vary significantly. If the park will house heavy industrial and manufacturing facilities, it is probable that
the process waste stream will have characteristics not acceptable to most sanitary sewer treatment plants. This condition may dictate the presence or use of
an industrial wastewater pre-treatment plant at the industrial park. To the extent there may be multiple industrial complexes generating process waste, it may
be feasible to provide a multi-user industrial wastewater pre-treatment facility. The volumes of discharge and the characteristics of the discharge will be
driving and determining factors for this strategy. Permitting for industrial waste discharge may also be a limiting or determining factor. This condition reinforces
the need to have detailed planning and flexibility in development and implementation of a new business and industrial park.

Electrical – Planning for electrical requirements may become extensive for multi-use parks. Most heavy industrial plants, and many other types of operations,
will require independent dual electric feeds for their facilities. The heavy industrial plants will request the highest voltage service possible to be brought to the
park, typically to a substation located on the property. High demand, end-users of electrical service will not only seek redundancy, but may also request
hardened facilities, back-up transformers, and automatic switching systems for conversion from one generating source to another. Planning and evaluation
related to local conditions and the ability/cost of providing these services is best done very early in the concept development stage. Capital investment and
cost/benefit ratio for utility companies typically becomes the limiting or enabling factor for these services.
98
SITE CONSIDERATIONS

Waxahachie, TX

Natural Gas – Availability of natural gas for a multi-use business and industrial park is a given. The quantities and pressures available for delivery to the park
should be fully explored and defined, as well as any infrastructure that may be required to bring service to the park.

Telecommunications – Fiber availability is a given at all locations today. The quality of the connectivity and the bandwidth available may vary; however,
most companies today are seeking the highest level service with state-of-the-art systems. The specific needs of each project will dictated the type of service
required. From a planning perspective, the developer should identify the highest quality service providers to bring service to the park. Many companies prefer
to find at least two telecommunications service providers available at new locations.
SITE CONSIDERATIONS
99

Economic Development Strategic Plan

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