Page 31 - City of Arlington FY19 Adopted Operating Budget

Business Plan

The Office of Economic Development (OED) strives to
support the growth of Arlington’s existing businesses and attract new
opportunities that will contribute to the economic vitality of the City.
The ultimate goal of the OED is to foster opportunities that will
increase the City’s revenue, provide high-quality employment
opportunities for Arlington residents, and contribute to the overall
prestige and future growth of the City of Arlington.

The Economic Development Strategy, first implemented in 2015,
continues to guide the Office’s recruitment, retention, marketing and
outreach efforts. In
FY 2018, the City had many economic development successes that resulted in
significant capital investment and recognition. D.R. Horton celebrated the
groundbreaking of its new corporate headquarters. Rent the Runway opened
its second U.S. distribution center. The Entertainment District remained in the
spotlight and will now be home to one of the largest Esports stadiums in the
nation. The Great Southwest Industrial District (GSW) remained a location of
interest for businesses. Exciting retail and restaurant centers were opened,
including Urban Union and Champions Park. L3 Technologies announced
plans to expand their Arlington Training Center. Texas Live celebrated a
groundbreaking in August 2018 and announced new restaurants created by
Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez and Troy Aikman.

The City received several accolades in FY 2018 related to its economic
development efforts. The Dallas Business Journal named Texas Live! the
“Best Real Estate Deal of the Year” and Arlington Automotive Logistics
Center the “Best Industrial Real Estate Deal.” Site Selection Magazine
named Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington as one of the Top Ten Most Sustainable
Metros and ranked it third among metros with more than one million residents
th
for total projects completed. Arlington was ranked the 4 most entrepreneurial city by FitSmallBusiness.com and was named
the “Best-Run City” by Wallethub.com. In May, the City celebrated the success of Arlington Highlands and ended Tax
Increment Reinvestment Zone #4 seven years early.

With the recent capital investments, the booming job market, and the exponential growth of UTA, FY 2019 will bring continued
focus on the target industry segments that represent prime opportunities for Arlington – aerospace, automotive, professional
and business services, medical devices, and industrial machinery/manufacturing.

The Information Technology Department consists of Business
Analysis, Project Management and Governance, Geographic Information
System, WEB Development Services, Software Services, Information
Security, Communication Services, Network Services, and Customer
Support. The Department is a vital partner with all City departments to
provide quality services through the innovative use of technology. IT
provides network infrastructure stability, assistance with technology requests
and purchases, system upgrades, management of technology security, and
customer service for many varied software and hardware issues. The
Information Technology Department strives to provide quality customer
service to all departments within the City of Arlington organization.

2019 Adopted Budget and Business Plan 16 City of Arlington, Texas