County Executive Leads 2021 State Of The Economy Address With A Message Of Hope, Plans For Growth

By Kia Lisby

The Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable in partnership with The Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation hosted the Prince George's County 2021 "State of the Economy" Virtual Address with County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks April 21, to address new plans for economic development throughout the county, engaging the county’s workforce, the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, county recovery, reopening and planning for the months ahead.

Speakers in attendance included Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, President and CEO of Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable Jim Estepp, Prince George’s County Council and County Chairman Calvin Hawkins, II, and President and CEO Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation David Iannucci.

“We have been through a great deal but there is a great future ahead of us,” Estepp remarked at the start of the 2021 state of the economy virtual address.this is

County Executive Alsobrooks delivered the 25th Annual State of the Economy address in just under 15 minutes before some 320 guests among the virtual audience (click audio bar “CE Alsobrooks 2021 SOTE Address” below to hear County Executive Alsobrooks’ full speech). The county executive’s central messages included continued investment in the county and, core reality, that a healthy local economy requires a healthy community.

Alsobrooks said: “For Prince George's County to grow in a long-term sustainable way, we must invest in our people and their well-being.”

She added: “As the uncertainty of this pandemic wanes, optimism emerges in its place.”

Iannucci affirmed the county executive’s confidence in the resiliency of the county business community.

“While many businesses clearly suffered And we lost a number of companies in the county, many of our entrepreneurs took 2020 as a challenge and reinvented their businesses,” Iannucci said. “This speaks to the resiliency of the Prince George’s County business community and its ability to withstand these types of challenges, the fiercest storms of all. Please know that as a business owner you have a partner in the Economic Development Corporation.”

The CEO reiterated the mission of the economic development Corporation while citing that the county’s recent economic success will serve as the bedrock for its future success.

“We have two overriding principles: growing the county’s commercial tax base and growing the number of jobs in Prince George’s County. We are proud of the fact that for six years Prince George’s County has met the entire state of Maryland in job growth —- adding more than 25,000 jobs. We are dedicated to working tirelessly with our colleagues to ensure that that economic success, notwithstanding Covid, continues.”

After Ms. Alsobrooks established the challenges created for the county in the wake of COVID-19, she outlined several developments and initiatives that will contribute to the county’s success. A few highlights include:

• The implementation of the county’s first electronic procurement system for county government efficiency.

• Police reform, expanding independent oversight and providing greater access to emergency mental health services for residents in crisis.

• The opening of the state-of-the-art University of Maryland Capital Regional Medical Center this summer.

• Adoption of the $1.2 billion alternative school construction finance program, providing opportunities for local minority-owned businesses and will deliver six new schools for county students in the next three to four years.

• Branch Avenue projects such as single-family townhomes, office, and retail space

• Supporting the General Services Administration moving 1,800 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employees to join federal workers already located in Suitland.

• New Carrolton joint development project continuation

• The opening of the Stella Multifamily Building later this year

Council Member Hawkins discussed the County Council’s continued work with the County Executive and her budget team, county residents, and stakeholders, to closely monitor revenue collections and overall economic trends and to address fluctuations as they come.

The council looks forward to:

• Continuing to strengthen their ongoing efforts to promote and preserve housing stability and affordability for county residents. It includes a key investment in the county’s housing and investment trust fund with the partnership of County Executive Alsobrooks.

• Active community engagement during the council’s upcoming confirmation proceedings

• Financing, building, renovating, building, and maintaining six new middle schools over the next three to four years through the county’s alternative construction finance program.

The County Council chair also noted qualified data centers, an increase in the county’s commercial tax base; greater housing affordability and stability and recognized the announcement of the new Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz. Hawkins also recognized the zoning rewrite initiative and the great potential that it has for the county’s future.