Almost immediately after taking office, Mayor Jacques Roy created the first-ever Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. During the last three and a half years, as a direct result of the work conducted by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, the City of Alexandria has attracted millions of dollars in grant funding and appropriations, spearheaded the creation of the Central Louisiana in Film program, developed the Downtown Hotels Initiative, and coordinated significant development efforts between federal, state, and private-sector interests. 

Throughout his tenure as Mayor, Jacques Roy has continually championed the importance of regionalism. He understands successful economic development should not be constrained by political borders. The jobs and opportunities provided by the Proctor and Gamble plant in Pineville, for example, are just as important to the Town of Pineville as they are to the City of Alexandria. When he created the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, Mayor Roy ensured it would not merely focus on parochial projects, but would be responsible for assisting in attracting and retaining business developments that benefit the entire Central Louisiana region. 

“Retention and expansion of existing business is the backbone of the local economy, and really that of the nation.  The big hunt expeditions are great, welcome, and we need them.  But, we must focus on what’s here to drive the economy—especially in challenging economic times.”  Jacques Roy, October 2008

Importantly, the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development is not and was never intended to duplicate the services offered by other organizations and agencies. Instead, at the direction of Mayor Roy, the office builds alliances and forms collaborative partnerships in order to maximize efficiencies and increase our regional competitiveness, while housing the first Alexandria “policy shop” for planning and development in the City’s history—and by grant dollar count and statewide recognition of S.P.A.R.C.—and now national recognition by planning experts—the “shop” is functioning very well. We are looking now for the next generation of participants, potential externs and others for “shop” roles. Are you one?  

During the last three and a half years, the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development has attracted millions of dollars in competitive grant funding and appropriations: over $6.5M from State capital outlay, nearly $500K for our rail spur at the Alexandria Industrial Park, approximately $1M for improvements to our riverfront, $400K to launch the first-ever Brownfield program, $250K for infrastructure improvements in and around Rugg Elementary School, $567K for a Community Resiliency Program, and $1.25M toward housing, to name a few. 

In addition, the office spearheaded the creation of Central Louisiana in Film, an alliance that also includes the Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority, the Alexandria/Pineville Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the England Authority. During the last two years, CLIF has coordinated with major Hollywood studios and independent filmmakers, attracting numerous filming commitments that will result in the investment of millions of dollars into the local economy. As you read, for the first time in Alexandria’s history, two filming endeavors are taking place simultaneously, including a feature film, with two more several months away. Two films were already filmed in large part in our area thanks in part to work by the CLIF alliance.

The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, under the direction and leadership of Mayor Roy, also created and launched the Downtown Hotels Initiative, an innovative effort that seeks to restore both the Hotel Bentley and the Alexander Fulton Hotel while, simultaneously, getting the City out of the hotel business, once and for all. After a months-long, national competition, the City entered into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with Hospitality Initiatives Partnership, which committed to investing over $40 million into the project, which will result in the creation and retention of over 250 jobs and a 10-year economic impact of over $500M. Once completed, this project promises to forever alter the landscape of Downtown Alexandria and create a hotel/convention center complex that rivals any other convention destination in the American South.

Despite the national recession and the downturn in large-scale commercial investment, the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development will continue to be successful in attracting meaningful and significant investments in our local economy, investments that promise to transform Alexandria and reassert its role as a center of industry and progress. This is made all the more remarkable when you consider that the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development was created less than four years ago. 

Because of Mayor Roy’s leadership and proactive dedication toward economic development, now more than ever, Alexandria has the opportunity to capitalize on these successes and establish itself as a 21st century community, with a 21st century economy.

During the next four years, Mayor Roy will continue to be dedicated toward attracting the industries and businesses that fuel our modern economy: green energy, technology, and telecommunications, among others. He will continue to focus on safeguarding and advancing Alexandria’s regional supremacy and statewide competitiveness as an intermodal hub of industry, investing millions of dollars to build and develop the Alexandria Industrial Park at the Port, restoring our publicly-owned rail spur, and working with local manufacturers and distributors to ensure that our infrastructure doesn’t just allow them to be competitive, but that it provides them with a competitive advantage.