CCAC would like to thank Joseph McCoy, Managing Partner, Bryan Cave, and Greg Hummel, Partner, Bryan Cave, and CCAC Chairman, for hosting the CCAC lunch meeting on Thursday, November 13.
At the meeting, CCAC members heard from honored guest Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle regarding County priorities in the areas of transportation, economic development, and intergovernmental cooperation.
President Preckwinkle noted that the County is consolidating an estimated 1.6 million square feet of Chicago Loop office space office in an effort to reduce real estate costs, and has leased the 34th and 35th floors of the George W. Dunne County Office Building at 69 West Washington Street to tenants.
Cook County serves as the economic heart of the Midwest, with Chicago as its capital, and sees it as a priority to support the development of the metal manufacturing sector, which accounts for 100,000 jobs and $30 billion in annual revenue. In June 2014, Cook County won federal designation for its Chicago Metro Metal Consortium initiative, making the County eligible for $1.3 billion in economic development funding.
President Preckwinkle also noted that good economic policy needs to be supported by good transportation policy. This year, the County created a Long Range Transportation Plan Advisory Board to draft the County's first federally mandated Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) in 70 years. The plan will be guided by the premise that transportation resources must support County growth and vitality. Residents can provide input on the plan at
www.connectingcookcounty.org. Cook County is also working to ensure coordination among city and suburban public transit operators during the Chicago Transit Authority's South Red Line Extension Project.
The County has also consolidated three separate workforce entities covering the City of Chicago, Northern Suburbs, and Western and Southern Suburbs. The former entities did not share information about job opportunities outside their coverage areas, making it harder for County residents to find work. The entities were combined with the County Department of Labor into the Chicago-Cook Workforce Partnership, which now receives all federal workforce development monies for the County and provides leads for jobs on a countywide basis.
President Preckwinkle said that she hopes the legacy of her Presidency will be improved inter-county coordination and cooperation. She noted that she has never celebrated Cook County winning companies from neighboring counties, and that what is most important is for the entire region to rise together.
