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INTRODUCTION As a result of a number of unique competitive advantages, the City of South Bend has an opportunity to become a leading center of technology in the Midwest. At the center of this opportunity lies the development of Ignition Park into a Technology Park focused on bringing together South Bend's technology resources. With a fully developed, feasible concept and detailed strategic plan, Ignition Park has the potential to create the conditions that will attract large corporations, entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors. Unlike traditional University sponsored technology parks, which are primarily focused on efforts that further specific University research interests, Ignition Park has the opportunity to focus on designated industry clusters. Doing so broadens the scope of the Park and expands the potential client base, thereby enriching the local and regional economy. In addition, this strategic focus reduces the Park's reliance upon University research activities, allowing the Park to utilize other local educational resources to spur innovation and growth among the community's existing businesses. This proposal seeks the City's approval of a study examining the feasibility of developing Ignition Park into aMulti-Cluster Technology Park. This Feasibility Study will include a thorough market analysis of benchmark technology parks, an examination of Ignition Park's competitive advantages, and an evaluation of potential industry clusters. Based upon the findings of this Feasibility Study, an initial Strategic Plan for Ignition Park will be developed, with an emphasis on the most viable clusters. This Strategic Plan will integrate the findings of the Feasibility Study and provide a strategic path for the Park's development. BENEFITS TO SOUTH BEND Economic benefits that come as a result of developing successful technology parks are well documented. These well-known, standard benefits are direct, tangible, and difficult to dispute. Among these are the ability to attract new companies into the community, the opportunity to spur the growth and expansion of existing local businesses, an expansion of the local tax base, and an aggressive increase in employment opportunities for local citizens. The successful development of Ignition Park will have this type of direct impact on the economic development of the City of South Bend. The creation of large numbers of new jobs and a robust workforce will lead to a stronger local economy. In turn, this will impact the area's tax base and other municipal resources. There will be huge strides made in the area of urban revitalization with the redevelopment of neighborhoods surrounding the park. These direct benefits are important and likely the basis upon which the City made the initial decision to invest in Ignition Park. These arc the benefits that everyone talks about. They are benefits that are important and can change communities forever. However, at this point in time, we cannot ignore a second set of lesser-known benefits: indirect benefits. These indirect benefits Cori/idential - lgnitiun Pak Feacibilih Stuch~ and Strategic Plcm Proposed- Graham Allen Parhrece Febr•uar-c 10l l