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CITY'S NEW DIRECTORKEVIN GULLETTE Focus is on incentives
A profile on Kevin Gullette, Fredericksburg's economic development director
BY BILL FREEHLING
Date published: 7/21/2007
BY BILL FREEHLING
Before coming to Fredericksburg, Kevin Gullette spent 3 years struggling to attract new jobs to a rural North Carolina county 50 miles east of Charlotte.
Gullette was then economic development director of Anson County, N.C. In its heyday, he said, Anson County had seven textile mills. It's now down to two.
Having come from that slow-growth environment, Gullette is excited about the business prospects for the comparatively booming Fredericksburg.
"But we can't sit back," Gullette said.
Gullette, 39, has been the city's economic development director since late April. Former director David Holder left the position in September, and Tourism Development Manager Karen Hedelt had been serving as the acting director.
In addition to his experience in Anson County, Gullette has spent about nine years working on downtown redevelopment in North Carolina cities including Raleigh and Charlotte. He's now focusing his attention on developing three areas of Fredericksburg.
One of Gullette's primary focuses over the past three months has been creating guidelines allowing the city to offer incentives. He said most cities offer incentives to attract big business.
City Council recently adopted a plan that creates three zones in which new businesses can apply for incentives. They are along the State Route 3 corridor, in Celebrate Virginia South and in the downtown/Princess Anne Street area.
Gullette thinks it was a good move for the city.
"Incentives are almost a necessary evil of doing business these days," Gullette said. "If you're going to be serious about economic development, you've got to step up to the table and play the game."
The city already started "playing the game" when it recently attracted a Wegmans Food Market Inc. store to Celebrate Virginia. The grocer plans to open off Fall Hill Avenue by spring 2009.
Gullette said Wegmans, a high-end grocery store, had twice looked at the Fredericksburg market before recently deciding to take the plunge. He said the city's ability to offer incentives sealed the deal.
Under the agreement, the city has agreed to waive $1.6 million in taxes that Wegmans would have had to pay over 10 years. Gullette said the city could still earn more than $3 million in tax revenue from the popular store over that time.
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Date published: 7/21/2007
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