City leaders discuss future as 'regional center'

Wichita Falls Mayor Lanham Lyne has been looking forward to this project - a massive undertaking - since he ran for office.

He and other leaders - including members of the Defense Diversification Plan Steering Committee - caught a glimpse Tuesday of some of the features the area's future could hold.

Representatives of TIP Strategies, a consulting firm based in Austin, walked the group through ideas that formed over the past several months.

Talks in 2007 fueled the ideas, and the sessions included several groups. Stakeholders gave their input. Focus groups addressed ideas from several perspectives, calling on ideas from downtown businesses and property owners, manufacturers, healthcare workers, human resource managers and entrepreneurs. In November, 85 residents shared their ideas on where they see the area going.

The TIP Strategies team walked the group seated in the City Council chambers through a preliminary roadmap of where some of the ideas could lead.

TIP President Tom Stellman stressed Tuesday that the day was more about what the steering committee had to say. That input is vital as they work to nail down a final plan over the next few months.

Stellman offered a first look at a common vision for the area, focusing on Wichita Falls' role as a "regional center" that offers top quality in health care, education and quality of life. The idea also centers around talent and investment.

Wichita Falls isn't far from the ever-expanding Dallas-Fort Worth area - one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country - and that situation offers both opportunities and challenges, Stellman said.

The ideas the team presented touched on a wide variety of issues - breathing more life into downtown, attracting people to Wichita Falls and keeping young professionals, Midwestern State University graduates and those finished with their military enlistments.

The group talked about industry targets and other employment issues.

One of the biggest issues is finding a way to meet employers' needs, making sure they have a work force with the talent they need, Stellman said. Lyne said it was important for Wichita Falls to make itself stand out. When the city can get people to come here, they generally see it as a place to stay and raise their families, he said.

The presentation also touched on entrepreneurial issues, with a goal of consolidating resources and enhancing services within the local community.

Lyne pointed out, echoing the information TIP Strategies presented, that the area doesn't have a formal "angel network" or system to get entrepreneurs the venture capital they need to start businesses. He said he sees potential for banks and individuals in the area to take on risks that will create a return for the city as a whole.

The conversation also steered toward downtown, which has a plan of its own to spark development, but is also a key part of this plan.

"The downtown is a big focal point of where the opportunities are for the community," Stellman said. He said that some people view a city's downtown as a reflection of the commitment a community has to existing businesses. He added that bolstering the offerings downtown would also be one of the best things to do for the east Wichita Falls area.

Taking advantage of educational opportunities is another important area, Lyne said.

A representative from the Office of Economic Adjustment also attended the meeting, and asked and answered questions. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure recommendations prompted the diversification planning. BRAC recommendations called for relocation of some of the personnel at Sheppard Air Force Base.

The diversification plans stress that this is Sheppard's home, but also encourage growth and development of a wide variety of fields within the community.

The idea of this undertaking is to take advantage of the businesses that exist in town and to provide opportunities for them to grow, Stellman said.

Tim Chase, president of the Wichita Falls Board of Commerce & Industry, said this part of the process can take a while, meticulously going through a lot of details, but it will be worth it, he said.

"The results and the strategies that come from that work will be excellent," Chase said.

He and other members of the committee told the consulting team some of the changes and ideas they'd like to see as the planning moves forward, including a further look at some of the industry ideas.

Excitement laced with some nervousness is building for Lyne as the timeline moves closer to a final plan. That's when work winds down for the consulting team and really kicks into gear for the people who will put the plan into action.

Lyne has said all along that he wants not merely a study, but a plan that can be carried out.

The City Council will delve into the plans later this month. January and February will allow time for refining and finalizing the plan, with a goal of rolling it out in March.

"The more we get into it, the more excited I get about it," Lyne said.

Reporter Jessica Langdon can be reached at (940) 763-7530 or by e-mail at langdonj(at)TimesRecordNews. com.