ONE Kitsap

One Kitsap Investors

WHY DO WE NEED IT AND WHY NOW?

• KEDA has been evolving since the pandemic with new leadership, staff, programs and capabilities. As a result, now is the time to invest in KEDA as an entity that’s the “go to, one voice, one place” where stakeholders come together to plan, direct, and execute Kitsap’s economic future.
• This plan is a platform for Kitsap to be more “self-determining” instead of defined by Greater Seattle, the State of Washington, and the Federal Government. 
• In Puget Sound and nationwide there’s intense competition for jobs, investment, companies and talent. For Kitsap to realize our best economic future, we need a robust, impactful, best-in-class economic development organization.
   

Who?

• Led by a re-focused, re-energized KEDA
  • Targeted economic development orientation based on studies, analyses and plans
  • Increased private sector influence and direction
  • Focus and resources directed by strategic plan
  • Investor-led and directed
• Partners & collaborators
  • Private employers 
  • County, municipalities, neighboring counties
  • Tribal Nations
  • Education (Olympic College campuses, university partners, K-12 system/districts, trade schools)
  • Port of Bremerton and Other Industrial Parks 
  • Real estate: Developers, builders, associations
  • Chambers of Commerce and community nonprofits
     

Additional Notes about One Kitsap:

• Funded and delivered as a five-year initiative, this plan is intended to establish capacity for KEDA to deliver solutions, impact, and value for many years in the future. The first few years will focus on building new organizational capacity.
• Stakeholders, investors, and community leaders will be deployed through ad hoc and committee tasks as needed to supplement KEDA staff capacity and advance the collective agenda effectively. 
• KEDA staff will be encouraged to pursue appropriate professional development opportunities.
• Implementation of One Kitsap requires investments in research capabilities and data acquisition & analysis.  Research will include identification of best practices in other communities that can be emulated in Kitsap.

Five-Year Goals & Outcomes:

This plan is intended to directly help produce the outcomes below for Kitsap with regard to commercial space, vacancy at major employers and GDP. The Kitsap Economic Development Alliance’s actions will directly help produce the following outcomes by 2029:

• Increase overall industrial and commercial inventory (+350,000 square feet in buildings)
• Decrease vacancy rate at major employers by 25% from 2022 highs
• Increase in Kitsap County GDP by 3%

Want to get involved?

Contact KEDA Executive Director Joe Morrison 360.377.9599

Interest Form

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