10 Priority Projects Identified in Final CEDS Draft

Jun 11, 2014

The draft five-year update to the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, or CEDS, for Cape Cod was released last month for its required public comment period, which ended May 23.

The Strategy sets goals, priorities, and evaluation requirements for the coming five years. Central to the plan is a set of regional priority projects to be completed over the next five years and a work plan for the Commission’s Economic Development Department over the next year. The plan also includes economic and demographic data that continues to be updated for the final draft.

The ten regional priority projects included in the 2014 CEDS update are:

Wastewater infrastructure and planning for identified growth areas
Last mile broadband build-out
Expedited permitting in identified growth areas
Strategic Information Office regional services
Cape Cod Capital Trust Fund for infrastructure financing
Business development revolving loan fund
Integrated infrastructure planning
Regional harbor planning and infrastructure evaluation
Commuter rail impact analysis
Climate change economic impacts assessment

In December of 2013, the 15 towns of Cape Cod were designated an Economic Development District by the Economic Development Administration (EDA). This designation indicates a commitment on the part of the EDA to providing financial assistance to economic development in distressed communities on Cape Cod. EDA assistance will be essential to completing and implementing the CEDS going forward.

The CEDS draft can be found at http://www.capecodcommission.org/ceds. It will be submitted to the U.S. Economic Development Administration by June 30, 2014.