ALBANY COUNTY — The county is looking ahead to rebuild economically after the coronavirus crisis has passed.

“Albany County is one of the only counties in the region that doesn’t have a countywide economic development entity and this blueprint here will put us on the path to get that and hopefully be well positioned to help business recover from the covid crisis,” said Kevin O’Connor.

O’Connor is the county’s new director of Economic Development, Conservation and Planning, and he spoke about the Strategic Economic Development Plan at Tuesday morning’s press briefing on the coronavirus.

“There’s another side of the crisis,” said Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy, besides the threat to public health. “The economic impact,” he said.

The plan calls for the creation of an independent public-private organization that is free of politics.

“When we finally come out of the other side of this crisis,” said McCoy, “we need to jumpstart the economy.”

He also said, “We will fill in the gaps, aligning resources.”

The report, which is over 200 pages, is posted on the county’s website.

Camoin Associates completed the plan in January after McCoy had convened the Albany County Business Advisory Board last year. Before the outbreak of the coronavirus, the board unanimously endorsed the strategy, which consists of short-term and long-term steps to change the county’s economic trajectory.

“As the home of the State Capital, a state-of-the-art healthcare system, and world class educational institutions, Albany County benefits from a stable, consistent economic base,” the report states. “Yet, the challenges that exist include the county’s ability to attract professional talent and retain young people to support future economic growth, a lack of strong identity and overall negative image, aging infrastructure, and a disconnected economic development system lacking strong leadership and clear, well-defined roles and responsibilities.”

The report goes on to outline four goals:

— 1. Fill the Gaps & Align Regional Resources: The county suffers from fragmentation with delivery of services and resources in the economic development ecosystem, the reports says, recommending collaborative relationships and providing leadership to advance business-friendly initiatives;

— 2. Target Investments Around Catalytic Projects and Critical Infrastructure: The report calls for an Albany County comprehensive plan to define a unified vision, inventory existing land uses and public infrastructure assets, create a transparent framework for land-use decisions, foster economic growth, and ensure future sustainable development and strategically targeted investments;

— 3. Nurture, Retain, and Attract Top Talent Around Growth Sectors: The report outlines strategies to draw attention to and build a workforce development pipeline for key growth sectors: cybersecurity, technology, transportation, and logistics; and

— 4. Transform Albany County’s Image: The report recommends projects designed to counter perceptions of old-school approaches and establish Albany County as: the place for major athletic events and learning programs that showcase women in business, competition, and politics; a clean energy hub; and as a magnet for business and entrepreneurship in the county. 

“The tipping point will be felt when Albany County becomes the ‘need to be’ and ‘want to be’ location for companies to locate and workers and residents to prosper,” the report says.

The authors of the report looked to other successful places with state capitals: Austin, Texas; Raleigh, North, Carolina; and Madison, Wisconsin.

A presentation aired at Tuesday’s briefing said, “The good news is there are extraordinary resources available in the region. The bad news is that, while businesses in Albany County can take advantage of some of these services, there is no one entity that looks for the whole of Albany County.” Rather, the presentation went on, “More than 50 groups do some part of the work yet there is a huge gap.”

One of the main goals in the early phases of the plan is a Business Retention and Expansion Program, directing small businesses to available financial resources at the local, state, and federal levels.

Overall,  the plan is to fill gaps, align regional resources, target investments around catalytic projects and key infrastructure, and transform the county’s image to retain and attract top talent and industries.