What Should EDA Fund? Developing a Model for Pre-Assessment of Economic Development Investments

This paper describes the completion of a “comprehensive study of regionalism” that was conducted by a joint team of economists and economic development specialists for the Economic Development Administration (EDA). The project consisted of two main activities: an examination of the factors associated with economic development success and the creation of a practical interactive tool for EDA project assessment and comparison. Findings from surveys, interviews, and project case studies are discussed in terms of their support for a positive relationship between successful economic development efforts and factors such as leadership and private investment. Also, the authors discuss the creation of a quantitative assessment model utilizing well-known approaches such as economic impact multipliers and cluster theory. The primary contribution of this work to the existing body of EDA-focused research and evaluation literature is introducing a means of using standardized scores, also known as z-scores, to compare and assess economic development projects across both industries and regions.regional economic development, economic impact, assessment model, EDA, z-score

Workforce and Demographic Profile of Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties

The Whirlpool Corporation, located in Benton Harbor Charter Township, asked the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research to develop a dashboard of indicators portraying the current and future (where possible) “economic” health of the region

McCamly Plaza Economic Impact Report

In August of 2020, leadership at Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) requested that the Regional and Economic Planning Services Team at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research (Upjohn) create a set of estimates for the renovation and operation of the McCamly Plaza Hotel and Plaza located in downtown Battle Creek

Impact Estimates for the Freshwater Center

Lake Superior State University, in support of a U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant application, asked the Regional and Economic Planning Services Team at the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research (Upjohn) to estimate the economic impact of building and operating the Freshwater Center (Center) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Construction of Broadband in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan: Estimates of Economic Impacts

The Merit Network, in support of a U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant application, asked the Regional and Economic Planning Services Team at the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research (Upjohn) to estimate the economic impact of building and maintaining more than 70 miles of broadband infrastructure in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The region for estimating economic impacts is referred to as the eastern Upper Peninsula (EUP) and the region includes Luce, Chippewa, and Mackinac counties. The estimates for constructing the broadband infrastructure are reported for the period 2021 to 2023 and include labor as well as hard and soft costs. While the study contains estimated impacts to the study region as well as to the rest of the state of Michigan and the rest of the United States, it focuses only on the construction and maintenance of the broadband and not the benefits of the “last mile” to firms operating such systems, or to businesses or residents using such systems. The study finds that the combined impact for all regions – the EUP, the rest of Michigan, and the rest of the United States – for the 2021 to 2023 period is slightly more than $18 million in increased output or sales. The estimated impact in value added (or gross domestic product) for all regions is$10.4 million, and the estimated impact in personal income for all regions is $4.9 million

Impact Estimates for Fort Custer Multi-Tenant Industrial Space

In support of a grant application to be submitted to the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) asked the Regional and Economic Planning Services Team at the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research (Upjohn) to estimate the economic impact of the building and operations of a multi-tenant industrial incubator in Battle Creek, Michigan