In a free society, people can pursue whatever legal path they desire to make a living. Here in Columbia, we have a good mix of folks doing their own thing, with lots of success stories.
Bigger picture, there are exciting trends and projects around COMO. Some will benefit those involved in a particular firm or industry, while others have greater potential to lift the local economy more broadly. Let’s explore just of few of these potential fundamental drivers of community wealth — some that are already underway, and some that could be revisited.
A big convention center has been theorized for years. The Columbia Expo Center is pretty good, but it’s just mid-sized and doesn’t satisfy visionaries’ tastes for something more “transformational.” The Broadway Hotel expanded its conference space recently, but it’s still far from large.
Raman Puri, CEO of the Puri Group of Enterprises, suggested a new idea: to build off the existing hotel and modest conference space up by Menards with two further hotels plus a bona fide major conference facility. Its’ a great idea, and what’s particularly surprising is that Puri intends to pursue the project without some public subsidy, in an era where it seems as though nothing can occur without taxpayers footing least part of the bill.
Another big wealth-generating concept worth reviving is turning Columbia into a world-class medical destination. Years ago, the idea of forming a little Mayo Clinic was talked up here. As Columbia is already a regional center for higher education, retail, finance, sporting events, and medical care, the concept sure had potential to blossom further.
The potential is still here, but we need more cooperation. For example, when Boone Hospital was looking to detach from BJC a few years back, one option suggested was a linkup with MU Health Care. It was perplexing (to non-insiders, anyway) when a good deal of angst about such a partnership came to light; so disappointing when that quickly fell off the table. We need more cooperation between both public and private entities to become a leader in the medical industry.
Many readers here are well aware of the unique value of the MU nuclear research reactor. Local dignitaries and international investors were on hand this spring to announce a major expansion. The reactor complex does some high-tech stuff that relatively few locals zooming by on South Providence have any clue about.
A local business leader recently asked me rhetorically why Reactor Field isn’t therefore booming with adjacent global biotech facilities, like North Carolina’s famous Research Triangle, which the Chamber of Commerce has visited. Between Jesse Hall and City Hall, do our leaders have the vision to even allow similar greatness to flourish?
Thinking even more broadly, with several fine colleges in town, we have a literal brain trust in our midst. For years, I hosted a public access radio talk show and scheduled speakers for local luncheon groups like the Rotary Club. I am continually surprised at the untapped knowledge that I keep discovering.
City Hall hires so many outside consultants, from far out of town, and at great additional cost. If professional staff need some help on specific projects, why can’t we tap local academics who are experts in their field for advice? They could weigh in on electricity trends, traffic engineering innovations, low-cost residential construction techniques, criminal violence prevention — maybe even fix the buses, for pity’s sake!
Such rising tides could lift all boats locally. Some will get rich, and some will get a job, while the economy at large would be bolstered, swelling tax revenues in the process. Couldn’t adopting more of an opportunity attitude toward such forward-looking projects make us all better off?
