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35 W D D C W D D C E C O N O M I C R E S E A R C H The WDDC remains committed to providing accurate pertinent information for the Downtown area. One such example is the updated residential analysis that Zimmerman Volk provided this past year. The WDDC will continue to contract with market sector economists and experts to ensure investors have the critical data needed to make informed decisions. This State of Downtown Report is updated annually. Its intent is to provide timely U.S. Census Data and local market information and trends. Working in partnership with the City of Wichita Sedgwick County and Wichita States Center for Economic Development and Business Research CEDBR we are able to provide this updated report to assist the public and private sectors with strategic investment decisions. W D D C I N V E S T O R A S S I S TA N C E It had been five years since Laurie Volk ZimmermanVolk Associates had released her initial housing study for Downtowns residential market. Her research provided market potential analysis for Project Downtown The Master Plan for Wichita. When it was first released some were hesitant to believe that Downtown could absorb 1000 units over the next five to seven years and were also wary of the price points that were forecasted. Fast forward five years. We were pleased to see that her projections for Downtowns residential market were spot on and that we have added 428 new units since 2010 with an additional 550 under or soon to be under construction. Given the development activity since her initial study the WDDC felt that it was appropriate to update the initial forecast to understand if the market potential had changed since the initial report was released. In July 2014 the WDDC released Zimmerman Volks updated residential market study. It showed that the market potential had strengthened. The updated study took into account all projects that were currently under construction or in phases of planning and projected that Downtown could absorb 1750 units in addition to those already known over the next five to seven years. The study was funded through multiple partners INTRUST Bank Fidelity Bank Emprise Bank Commerce Bank Market Place Properties Bokeh Development Slawson Companies and Security National Life Insurance Co. W D D C A D V O C A C Y The WDDC has an active role in the area of advocacy. The organization works in partnership with entities such as the City of Wichita Friends of Historic Preservation Visit Wichita and the Chamber of Commerce on various legislative initiatives. Regularly the organization works with the City Council on projects within Downtown Wichita providing economic data or testimony of how a project will further the implementation of Project Downtown The Master Plan for Wichita. W D D C E D U C AT I O N A L E N G A G E M E N T Since 2011 Westar Energy has sponsored a summer design internship position at the WDDC for upper level college students in the fields of design and urban planning. The 2014 Design Intern was Ms. Rachel Fox who is a candidate for a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture at Kansas State University. Rachel has a passion for urban design and was able to assist with multiple projects throughout the summer. Brad Segal fuelthefirespeakerseries.com