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Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element <br />To capitalize on this effort, Indian River County can position itself as a location for those businesses <br />that support the life sciences industry. In so doing, the County may be in a position to recruit <br />potential spinoff companies from the developing life science cluster in St. Lucie County. To do this, <br />the County should ensure that development ready properties are available for companies that are <br />recruited. In addition, the County should identify appropriate locations for new business/industrial <br />parks, provide appropriate infrastructure for those industrial/business parks, and expedite project <br />reviews for the industrial/business parks and proposed businesses within the industrial/business <br />parks. <br />Summary <br />To improve the standard of living for residents, the County should continue to strengthen and <br />diversify its employment base so that the local economy is not primarily reliant upon low paying <br />service oriented industries. To do so, the County should maintain a multifaceted approach to <br />economic development. This should include: <br />■ Refining the County's existing targeted industry list to be consistent with the State's target <br />industry list, which includes the aviation, aerospace, life sciences (biotech), and specialty health <br />care industries; <br />■ Providing infrastructure to accommodate a growing population base and to accommodate the <br />needs of targeted industries; <br />■ Facilitating the development of large lot industrial parks; <br />■ Providing appropriately zoned land for development by target industries; <br />■ Continuing regional cooperation as part of the "Research Coast Initiative"; <br />■ Promoting the assets of the County to CEOs and CFOs of targeted industries; <br />■ Recognizing the decline in the citrus industry and the need to identify new farm uses for export; <br />■ Maintaining appropriate economic incentives for key manufacturing and target industries <br />(financial incentives, expedited permitting, etc.); <br />■ Marketing the County for tourism; <br />■ Preserving environmental and cultural assets of the community; and <br />■ Identifying and stopping any remaining service industry leakages. <br />Community Development Department Indian River County 42 <br />