The City of Hamilton was recently awarded two awards for its economic development efforts from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The honors were presented at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, October 8, during the IEDC Annual Conference, which was held October 6-9, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"The Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the City of Hamilton, Ohio as being one of the leading organizations in the industry for innovation, creativity and successful strategies," said IEDC chair, Paul Krutko. "These awards are meant to honor the organizations and individuals who are dedicated to making a positive change in their communities. Hamilton uses creative solutions and inventive ideas, and offers other regions a wonderful example to learn and benefit from. The award represents an acknowledgment and appreciation for the City of Hamilton, Ohio's dedication to continuous growth within itself, as well as improving the industry overall."

The City of Hamilton, Ohio received a Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award for its 2012 project in the category of Public-Private Partnerships for communities with populations of 25,000 - 200,000.

The public-private partnership between the City of Hamilton, Ohio and Coon Restoration has yielded three large-scale projects in downtown Hamilton - the $8.6 million renovation of the of the Historic Mercantile Lofts into 29 market rate apartments and 4 street level retail spaces, the $2.5 million renovation of the former JournalNews building into a cultural hub for Butler Tech School of the Arts, Miami Valley Ballet Theatre, and Hamilton City Schools ABLE program, and the $1.5 million renovation of the Robinson-Schwenn building, the 147 year old former opera house, which includes 3 floors of office space and 3 first floor retail spaces.

Prior to this partnership, the City struggled to facilitate urban core reinvestment. This partnership has brought the first market rate apartments to downtown in decades, attracted new office and retail businesses, and is spurring new development interest.

The City of Hamilton, Ohio also received a Silver Excellence in Economic Development Award for its 2012 project in the category of Special Purpose Brochure for communities with populations of 25,000 - 200,000.

The City of Hamilton Initiative Update is a 28 page brochure that communicates the City's vision and the projects currently undertaking, including information such as project description, timeline, status, projected investment, partners, and project pictures. Developed for a wide audience, the goal of the Initiative Update is to be comprehensive, digestible, accurate, and visually engaging.

See the Initiative Update here.

The development of the Initiative Update responded to the need for a informational piece to highlight the many quality of life projects occurring in Hamilton, ranging from downtown revitalization to sustainability initiatives. Hamilton is a Rust Belt city that is working to transform its image, and the Initiative Update has fostered a great deal of enthusiasm about the future of the city.

City Manager Joshua Smith said, "These awards recognize the hard work of Hamilton's elected officials, City departments, and many community partners, especially Coon Restoration. Steve Coon and his partners believe in downtown Hamilton and made some catalytic investments in our downtown."

"In the case of the Initiative Update, the content and design was completely done by City staff," said Smith.

IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world's best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year's most influential leaders. These awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

For more information please visit www.hamilton-city.org and www.iedconline.org.