Officials with the Golden Triangle Development Link confirmed via press release that it will no longer be responsible for retail development for Columbus.
The announcement comes after a council meeting Tuesday night during which elected officials discussed hiring Retail Strategies, a retail consulting and recruitment firm in Alabama. Mayor Robert Smith suggested speaking with the Link before contracting with the firm. The council opted to table the matter until its Feb. 4 meeting.
The proposed three-year contract with Retail Strategies stated the company would conduct market studies, represent the company at real estate conferences and recruit prospective retailers to the city.
The Link release states the city will be responsible for its own retail development and the city will move forward in its plans to hire a retail consultant.
In a pair of separate meetings, Smith and three council members met with Higgins to discuss the future of retail development in the city.
The city’s agreement with the Link appropriated $110,000 to the Link for this fiscal year.
It is uncertain if the city will continue to participate in the Link in the wake of Thursday’s decision.
“We truly appreciate the mayor’s leadership in this matter,” Link CEO Joe Max Higgins said in the release. “It would have been unfair to make these decisions regarding the future of retail development without a full discussion.”
Link Executive Committee chairman Gordon Flowers said the tri-county economic development consortium will continue to pursue industrial development for the city.
A full report on the announcement will be in Friday’s edition of The Dispatch.
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
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