La Grande seeks consultant for five-year economic development plan

La Grande is looking for a consultant or firm to write a new economic development strategic plan that could shape downtown investment, housing, job creation and business recruitment for the next five years.

The city’s request for proposals says the plan will guide policies, investments and initiatives aimed at sustainable growth, community resilience and broader prosperity. It is being folded into La Grande’s 2026-27 budget, which means the work depends on budget adoption in May and June and would not receive funding until July 1 if approved. City budget hearings are scheduled for May 11 through May 13 at Cook Memorial Library, giving residents and business owners a direct chance to weigh in before the agenda is set.

La Grande is presenting the plan as part of its Fiscal Transformation Initiative, signaling that officials want the work tied to the city’s long-term finances and service capacity, not just a broad vision statement. The city describes itself as a rural community of about 13,058 people in 2024 and the county seat of Union County, which had about 26,100 residents that same year. La Grande has held the Union County seat since 1905, and as the largest city in the Baker, Union and Wallowa county region, its economic choices ripple beyond city limits.

The new plan would replace one that dates to 2010, while the current urban renewal plan was written in 1999-2000, when the district was formed. City leaders have said the district is expected to sunset around 2031, making this a pivotal period for deciding how much energy and money should still flow into urban renewal. The urban renewal agency is also reviewing its financial posture and remaining capacity as that sunset approaches.

The consultant chosen for the project would be asked to review earlier studies, identify strengths and weaknesses, engage stakeholders and build a practical road map. That work would add to a stack of recent planning efforts, including a 2022 Goal 9 Economic Opportunities Analysis, a commercial and industrial land needs study, a housing needs analysis and a housing production strategy. In 2024, La Grande’s Goal 14 expansion study narrowed six possible urban growth boundary areas to two south-of-town sites with 148.7 acres of commercial land and 215.4 acres of industrial land, but it stopped short of recommending expansion because property owners showed little interest.

The city’s 2024 participation in the ReCast City cohort also pointed to small-scale manufacturing as a downtown revitalization strategy, and the economic development division continues to oversee the urban renewal plan, the economic development plan and the Main Street program. Downtown remains a priority, with La Grande Main Street Downtown reporting leadership changes in 2024, including a new executive director, Sarah Marcotte. City leaders are also weighing larger proposals such as the Jefferson Avenue Redevelopment Project and the Adams Avenue Streetscape, making the new consultant’s work a key test of how La Grande wants to balance downtown reinvestment, new jobs and limited public dollars over the next five years.