Economic Development Projects
Who We Are
With over 25 years experience as the premier organization monitoring inclusion, the Coalition's Economic Development Projects (EDP) unit has been an honest broker working closely with employers and communities to ensure the participation of minorities, women and disabled businesses on development construction projects in the Philadelphia region and in major cities in the U.S.
What We Do
The Economic Development Projects (EDP) unit partners with project developers, owners, construction firms, hospitals and universities to develop Economic Inclusion Plans to help clients award contracts to Minority, Women and Disabled Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (M/W/DsBE), and to successfully employ women and minorities, and community residents. We have:
Worked to create opportunity for M/W/DsBE businesses to participate in win-win inclusionary projects.
Proven experience and success assisting minorities gain employment on construction-related jobs.
Worked with private and public-sector clients to design, implement, and monitor workable economic opportunity plans.
Prepared countless community residents for construction jobs in their own neighborhoods.
GPUAC has gained the trust of all parties, and our expertise working in the field has allowed us to negotiate successfully with the challenges inherent in the construction industry.
Service Approach
Our approach to developing economic inclusionary construction and development projects includes:
Data Mining: Updating and management of a comprehensive database of qualified M/W/DsBE businesses.
Outreach: Conducting outreach campaigns to keep M/W/DsBE business communities abreast of upcoming opportunities.
Business Development: Assisting M/W/DsBE business development through educational workshops.
Project-Opportunity Valuation: Working with developers and construction leads to identify inclusion opportunities.
Project Assessment for Participation: Working with developers and owners to make sure M/W/DsBE sized projects are available.
Assurance Monitoring: Reviewing bid proposals to determine the responsiveness of bidders to the projects’ inclusion plan.
Customized Data Analysis and Reporting: Providing customized reports on and analysis of the success of the project’s inclusion plan.
Economic Impact Analysis: A culminating review at the project’s end that quantitatively exhibits the overall positive economic impact that the project has on the community.
Impact and Return on Investment
Construction and development economic inclusion ensures access to career and business opportunities to every qualified member of a community where a construction project occurs.
Since 1983, EDP has generated over $740 million in contracts awarded to M/W/DsBE businesses, and in excess of $105 million in wages paid to minority and female construction site employees.
Between 2005 and 2007, a total of 13,416 individuals were employed in Philadelphia construction sites monitored by EDP.
Our economic inclusion initiatives focus on long-term development where projects serve as a catalyst to:
- Increase and enhance the capacity of minority-owned firms
- Spark innovation and opportunities for new entrepreneurs
- Provide job opportunities and reduce unemployment
- Implement a company’s construction and development inclusion measures to reach expected goals
Current Partners
EDP, in partnership with the following organizations, has helped to successfully launch Economic Inclusion Plans for such recent projects as:
- City of Philadelphia Cultural and Commercial Corridor Project
- Comcast Center
- East Baltimore Development, Inc.
- Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Liberty Property Trust
- PA Convention Center Authority
- Please Touch Museum
- Temple University
- University of Pennsylvania
Contacts
Beverly G. Woods, Director
Economic Opportunity Division
215-851-1917
bwoods@uac.org
Carlos L. Jones, Executive Director
Economic Development Projects
215-851-1824
cjones@uac.org
1207 Chestnut Street, 7th Floor