More attention has shed light on Tucson COVID-19 recovery plans after business disruptions subside.

An April 6 New York Times article touted Tucson’s partnership among government agencies and economic development group Sun Corridor Inc. to create a plan that will be ready to implement in mid-May. It also cited Austin, Texas; Boise, Idaho, and Portland, Oregon, as other cities whose regional approach will allow them to bounce back quickly.

The newspaper’s description of Tucson’s drive to recover economically piggybacks on other news that Tucson is on the radar of businesses looking to expand or relocate in a post-pandemic environment.

Last fall, site selection consultants surveyed by the Site Selection Guild named Tucson among 11 mid-sized cities with strong potential for new locations or expansion projects this year. That came on the heels of a Moody’s analytics report in May 2020 that put Tucson on its top 10 list of metro areas that can quickly recover from its economic downturn. The National Association of Realtors named Tucson among its top 10 commercial real estate markets for 2021. Those cities and regions are expected to outperform the rest of the nation.

“… (C)ities that have a strong alliance with business development agencies are expected to recuperate faster,” the New York Times article said. It points out that Tucson will resume construction and identify shovel-ready industrial sites for development.

That’s part of the plan that Sun Corridor is developing with Pima County and Tucson city staff. The Tucson COVID-19 recovery plan is expected to focus on company recruitment, workforce development, real estate and infrastructure, talent recruitment and tourism recovery, according to BizTucson magazine.

“We continue to ensure that this region is prepared to facilitate economic expansion from those employment sectors interested in the Southwest region,” C.H. “Chuck” Huckelberry, Pima County’s administrator, wrote to the county’s board of supervisors.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero echoed the importance of the local partnership. “Never before has it been more important for the public and private sectors to collaborate and work together as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” she posted on Facebook when referring to the Times article.

I applaud this regional solution and appreciate the speed at which the economic development community is working to put Tucson top of mind of businesses who would benefit from our post-COVID-19 environment.

While the Tucson  commercial real estate sector is already starting to heat up, there still are deals to be had as business owners still move cautiously to understand how their changing operations affects their current business space leases.

I currently advise business owners to make those assessments now and quickly in order to get the type of Tucson commercial real estate property they want. Contact me for an immediate, complimentary consultation, 520-299-3400.

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