IRVINE, Calif. — Orange County Business Council is pleased to announce the winners of the 7th Annual Turning Red Tape Into Red Carpet Awards, presented by JPMorgan Chase & Co. The awards program recognizes leaders, policies and programs in local government eliminating barriers to economic growth and private sector jobs creation. This year’s program saw a record 39 nominations, with winners selected by a diverse committee of business and city leaders, chaired by Dan Miller, Senior Vice President, Entitlement and Public Affairs, The Irvine Company. Winners were announced and honored at last night’s reception at The Center Club. The award winners are:
Award for Business Retention and Expansion
City of Anaheim: Code Streamlining and Improvement Program
In order to reduce the regulatory burden on existing and much-needed prospective development throughout the city, the Anaheim Planning and Building Department evaluated and updated the Zoning Code on a continuous basis in response to market and business trends. Over the past five years, this program implemented numerous zoning code amendments to create flexibility, provide clarity, and streamline the process – aiding to the overall economic development of the city.
The County of Orange received an honorable mention award in the category of Business Retention and Expansion for its Orange County Information Technology Shared Services Initiative.
Award for Real Estate Redevelopment and Reuse
City of Tustin: FLIGHT and Legacy Park
FLIGHT is an innovative office campus, delivering a product that reflects the housing and office space demands of a new workforce. FLIGHT will foster approximately 4,500 employees working in groundbreaking fields including high tech and biotechnology. Legacy Park will feature walking and biking trails, recreation areas and other amenities for FLIGHT employees. With a central location, a focus on mixed use space and a commitment to the communities around the development these projects are examples of the real solutions to the challenges facing Orange County.
The City of Garden Grove received an honorable mention award in the category of Real Estate Redevelopment and Reuse for its Wesley Village Project.
Award for Sustainable and Green Development
Orange Coast College: Recycling Center
The Orange Coast College Recycling program generates approximately $200,000 annually in profit, which supports extensive student programming throughout the Associated Student Body and contributes to the construction of a campus children’s center, tutorial center, and athletics facilities. Furthermore, the funds support the operation of the school newspaper, scholarships, student life activities, and have aided “green initiatives” on campus. Overall, the Recycling Center supports local economic development by returning approximately $1 million annually to the local community in redemption of recycled material.
The Orange County Sanitation District received an honorable mention award in the category of Sustainable and Green Development for its Urban Runoff Diversion Program.
Award for Responding to Globalization
There are two winners in the category of Responding to Globalization.
Port of Los Angeles: Trade Connect Program
Trade Connect is a trade education program for regional businesses to more conveniently access resources to expand and diversify into global markets. The Port of Los Angeles led the planning and implementation of the program, carried out in cooperation with The Port of Los Angeles, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. SBA, U.S. Export-Import Bank, the District Export council of Southern California, California International Trade Development Centers, the LA Customs Brokers and Freight and the Bar Association International Section.
City of Garden Grove: Expanding Borders through International Trade
The City of Garden Grove’s Expanding Border’s Initiative has cultivated economic development in the Garden Grove community by introducing businesses to the global market, offering international trade resources including workshops, trading seminars, and small business assistance loans. It has been successful in developing a strong relationship with the Port of Los Angeles and their Trade Connect Program, which seeks to educate business on international trade. By partnering with federal, state, and non-governmental organizations, the initiative has impacted over 1,000 individuals from businesses in Garden Grove.
Award for Public-Private Partnership
City of Irvine: Orange County Great Park Sports Park
The City of Irvine and FivePoint Holdings LLC have partnered together to develop approximately 688 acres of the Orange County Great Park. Within the development, the first 53-acre phase of the highly anticipated 175-acre Sport Park, has been built. When complete, the park will include a dedicated softball complex with five fields, including a championship stadium and four batting cages; a baseball complex with seven baseball fields, plus four basketball courts, six more soccer fields and “flex fields” that can be used for soccer, rugby, cricket and lacrosse. In addition, the park will feature one of the country’s largest state-of-the-art public ice rinks, thanks to the Irvine Ice Foundation – an Anaheim Ducks affiliate.
Leadership Award
Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett
Supervisor Bartlett currently serves as the Fifth District Supervisor for the County of Orange and Chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors. She has served eight years on the council, with many accomplishments under her belt, including advancing in a Public Private Partnership model for the Dana Point Harbor Revitalization project. The County selected the P3 partner in October 2017, which will allow the County to Complete the more than $250M project, invest in private sector construction jobs, spur commercial retail growth, and reduce use of public funding.
For more on the award winners, nominees, and program visit: http://www.ocbc.org/ocbc-initiatives/economic-development/redcarpet/.
About OCBC:
Orange County Business Council is the leading voice of business in Orange County, California. OCBC represents and promotes the business community, working with government and academia, to enhance Orange County’s economic development and prosperity in order to preserve a high quality of life. OCBC serves member and investor businesses with nearly 250,000 employees and 2,000,000 worldwide. In providing a proactive forum for business and supporting organizations, OCBC helps assure the financial growth of America’s sixth largest county. For more information, visit www.ocbc.org.
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5dea7e4f-72af-4500-8783-25dcf196ce68
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f08a11fe-46e8-45cc-b94c-ccca9b4c90e4
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/025fc1d4-cee5-4fae-81d5-a6eeae1e1cac