Tucker is undoubtedly one of the fastest-rising business destinations in the Metro Atlanta area. Each month, the Business Boom will seek to show different examples of how Tucker’s business scene is flourishing. This month's column is written by our Economic Development Manager, Jackie Moffo.
Tucker’s First Economic Development Strategic Plan Gets Green Light from City Council
Soon after its incorporation in 2016, the City of Tucker began work on its first Comprehensive Plan, Tucker Tomorrow. When Tucker Tomorrow was adopted in April 2018, it included five primary community goals for the community’s future – one of which was Bolster(ing) the Economic Base. This goal called for the implementation and creation of programs and initiatives that would leverage and support the growth of Tucker’s primary job centers which include the Mountain Industrial Area, Northlake Commercial Center, Lawrenceville Highway Medical Area, and Downtown Tucker. One of these would be an Economic Development Strategic Plan.
This was one of the initial items tasked to Tucker’s Economic Development Manager, Jackie Moffo, upon her hire in 2021.
“Economic Development Strategic Plans are critical because they create a focused pathway for growth and business support that the community agrees on” Moffo shared.
In mid-2022 the Mayor and City Council approved and awarded the contract for the creation of this plan to the consultants at KB Advisory Group. Soon the research and planning period for an Economic Development Strategic Plan began. Over three months, the City of Tucker and KB Advisory Group conducted six public meetings, five business and community partner focus groups interviewed nine members of the City of Tucker Staff, Mayor and City Council, and we received nearly 300 online survey responses. This community and business input helped to create a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis for Tucker.
As a key component of any Economic Development Strategic Plan, Tucker established target industries. These allow the economic development team to dedicate time and resources to setting actionable goals and creating programming to support these industries. Based on employment concentration, regional job growth, and contributions to Gross Regional Product (GRP), as well as community input, Tucker’s target industries have been identified as Professional Services, Manufacturing, and Healthcare.
Tucker’s Economic Development Strategic Plan also highlights specific industry zones, called Character Areas. Understanding these is also critical, as it is necessary for understanding real estate trends that are essential for setting development objectives. The three primary real estate categories in Tucker include the Northlake office district, Mountain Industrial and Lawrenceville Highway Industrial and Commercial districts, and the Downtown Tucker retail district.
The plan concludes with a list of recommendations and initiatives that fall into five major categories –Economic Development Capacity Building- Business Retention and Attraction Program
- Major Projects Accelerator
- Visibility, Marketing, and Branding
- Business and Developer Programming
Over the next five years, in partnership with the Tucker Downtown Development Authority, and other community partners, such as the Tucker-Northlake Community Improvement District and Tucker Summit Community Improvement District, the City of Tucker will work to implement this five-year plan.
For more information about Tucker’s Economic Development Strategic Plan, and a breakdown of goals and tactics that the City of Tucker will be implementing, head to the tuckerga.gov/plans_and_studies online or to the City of Tucker’s Economic Development page for downloadable copies of the plan.
