economic prosperity DASHBOARD
Economic Prosperity includes 9 recommendations across 3 sub-categories: Employment, Housing, and Business. The bar chart below highlights the status of the 9 recommendations. Scroll down to the Recommendation Tracker for details. Status information reflects the community's work toward each recommendation.
Recommendation Highlight - Identify markets and sites for new homes #A2a


Needs Resources
Underway
Getting Started
Complete / Ongoing
- Data Will be Updated Bi-Annually to Align with Council Reports -
Recommendation tracker
RECOMMENDATIONS - AT A GLANCE
► Continue to diversify Dubuque’s economy - A1a
► Develop a ‘hyper-local’ approach to diverse talent attraction/development - A1b
► Strengthen start-up businesses and entrepreneurial programming -A1c
► Continue work of Inclusive Dubuque / enhance economic resilience -A1d
RECOMMENDATIONS - DETAILS & STATUS
Continue ongoing efforts to diversify Dubuque’s economy, including all sectors and all employment types and categories. A1a - Coordinator: Rick Dickinson, rickd@greaterdubuque.org
► Status: Underway
- As America's longest-running urban Main Street program, Dubuque Main Street pivoted in 2020 to support small businesses as they struggled to navigate how to stay open, relevant and safe during the pandemic. Signage, marketing and advocacy helped local businesses shift to alternative services, like curbside delivery of not just food, but everything from books to beer.
- Cottingham & Butler and Heartland Financial USA purchased the Roshek Building with plans to invest an additional $2.85 million and collectively committed to creating 32 full-time jobs.
- Simmons Pet Food to purchase vacated Flexsteel Industries manufacturing plant, with plans to create 271 new full-time, living-wage jobs through 2023.
- Progressive Processing, a subsidiary of Hormel Foods, announced a $13 million plan to expand their facility and add 58 new jobs.
- Walter Development (HODGE) leased their existing space at Chavenelle Road to Duluth Trading Company and Crown Holdings, two new employers to Dubuque who have pledged to add a collective 116 jobs.
Convene local employers attracting talent from elsewhere and from the region, identify successes and challenges based upon local employer experiences, and develop a comprehensive ‘hyper-local’ approach to overall diverse talent attraction and development, including a local talent pipeline. A1b - Kristin Dietzel, kristind@greaterdubuque.org
► Status: Underway
- Greater Dubuque Development Corporation's InfoAction confers with 60 CEOs, while HR Action confers with human resource professionals from 300 businesses annually. Together, they aggregate data to inform business and the community.
- Greater Dubuque Development Corporation's Workforce Solutions team and AccessDubuqueJobs host events to connect employers and college graduates.
- DubuqueWorks is a collaborative regional partnership of 18 employers, funding partners, workforce experts, and educators. The initiative focuses on Human Capital, Skill Development and Collaboration & Evaluation.
- Big Life, Small City attracts, informs and engages young people to return or stay in Dubuque.
- Greater Dubuque Development's Retention Recruitment Creation strategy measures the temperature of newcomers to understand what's working (and what's not) in Dubuque.
Continue to strengthen existing start-up business and entrepreneurial programming to develop a comprehensive entrepreneurial eco-system. This system should include programs and resources, including funding, for entrepreneurs through Stage 2 growth. A1c - Jill Connors, jilconno@cityofdubuque.org
► Status: Getting Started
- Greater Dubuque Development Corporation's Future Leadership Team explores issues and best practices in business and industry, community, non-profits, and education.
- City support of the Fountain of Youth Program- do we list a level?
- Entrepreneurial Venture School? Grants of $3,500?
Continue the current work of Inclusive Dubuque, also formulating strategies to enhance economic resiliency and mitigate the impact of economic disruptions locally. A1d - Paul Duster, paul@dbqfoundation.org
► Status: Ongoing
- The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque's New Business Leader Equity Cohort has over 30 local CEOs providing support to emerging leaders.
- Dubuque College Access Network post-secondary training & education with 50 partners. Read more about a grant supporting this effort.
- The City of Dubuque scores 100% on the 2020 Municipal Equality Index, demonstrating the support of LGBTQ people who work and live in Dubuque.