H.R. No. 550
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Richardson Economic Development Partnership, a
joint effort of the City of Richardson and the Richardson Chamber of
Commerce, has been recognized as an Accredited Economic Development
Organization by the International Economic Development Council;
and
WHEREAS, One of only 32 economic development organizations
worldwide to receive this designation, the REDP is the sole such
group in the Dallas-Fort Worth area; in addition, the Richardson
Chamber of Commerce holds five-star accreditation from the United
States Chamber of Commerce, and the city now has the distinction of
being the first community in Texas and the second in the nation to
earn both these prestigious honors; the International Economic
Development Council also presented the Richardson partnership with
the 2011-2012 Gold Medal in the High Performance Economic
Development category in recognition of the group's announcement of
more jobs and capital investment created than any other economic
development organization of its size in the United States; and
WHEREAS, An effective engine for growth, the REDP has helped
Richardson attract new investment and jobs through marketing,
recruitment, and coordination with existing local employers; the
organization's accomplishments of the past two years additionally
include contributing to the launch of the Mayor's Office of
International Business, playing a key role in the recruitment of
the Virtual Computing Environment Company headquarters, and
assisting in the structuring of an incentives package to retain the
headquarters of Fossil, Inc., along with its 1,400 jobs; moreover,
the REDP led a retail redevelopment initiative that has increased
the value of 10 area shopping centers by more than $70 million; and
WHEREAS, Most recently, developer KDC announced plans for a
$1.5 billion transit-oriented mixed-use project in Richardson;
insurance giant State Farm subsequently signed the largest office
lease in the history of the Dallas area for 1.5 million square feet
of space within the KDC project; and
WHEREAS, The Richardson Economic Development Partnership has
made tremendous contributions to the prosperity of the city, and
the granting of this accreditation is a testament to the
far-reaching impact of the organization's achievements; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate the City of Richardson and the
Richardson Chamber of Commerce on the recognition of the Richardson
Economic Development Partnership as an Accredited Economic
Development Organization by the International Economic Development
Council.
Carter
Button
Leach
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 550 was adopted by the House on March
6, 2013, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House