March 04, 2020 - The Cook County EDA and Cook County Chamber of Commerce invite Cook County residents and stakeholders to participate in a renewal of the Go Cook County prosperity priorities community visioning process. Working with The Northspan Group, Inc., which facilitated the initial Go Cook County process in 2012, the EDA and Chamber seek to understand changes to the local economy over the past decade, measure progress to date, and lay the groundwork for future economic success in Cook County.

In 2012, a group of county-wide stakeholders engaged Northspan, a community and economic

development consulting firm, to facilitate the Go Cook County initiative. This process helped lay the foundation for a systematic assessment of the county’s needs and future development goals.

Components included extensive survey and focus group work, an economic analysis, and visioning sessions that established future priorities. A success story from the 2012 process was an effort to address affordable workforce housing needs, as the process set the stage for the eventual engagement of One Roof Community Housing and the construction of new units in Grand Marais and Lutsen.

Now, after eight years and numerous changes in the local and national economies, the EDA and

Chamber have re-engaged Northspan to revisit the results of the 2012 process. Stakeholders are

working to assess progress on the priorities from the previous round, and Northspan has begun an updated economic analysis that will allow the county to measure changes in its economy and

demographics. Community engagement will once again be an important piece of the process.

We invite all community members to take a Community Perceptions Survey HERE.

(https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GoCookCounty)

The EDA and Chamber also invite stakeholders to take part in one of two Future Focus Workshops scheduled for Monday, April 6 from 4:00 - 8:00PM and Tuesday, April 7 from 8:00AM - 12Noon. They will take place in the Commissioner's Room at the Cook County Courthouse, 411 W 2nd St., Grand Marais. The sessions are open to all with a cap of 40 participants for each, which means we need RSVP’s.

Click HERE (https://forms.gle/pGA8c6YC7NBkEGUd8) to RSVP or email [email protected]

We will continue to provide the public with updates as the process goes along.

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The Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority was formed to diversify the economy, create employment through retention and expansion of existing businesses and development of new businesses, support the development of housing and increase the tax base. For further information, contact Mary Somnis at 218.387.3112 or [email protected]