MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair joined a team from Innovate Alabama today for a tour of Montgomery Whitewater, a world-class recreational facility that’s now hosting Olympic athletes, as Alabama business development leaders consider new approaches to spark economic growth.
McNair, who is spearheading the creation of a new state economic development strategic plan, said outdoor recreation assets like the Montgomery Whitewater facility can play an important role in the next-generation economic development strategies being developed by the state.
“It’s becoming clear that having outdoor recreation attractions like Montgomery Whitewater can catalyze economic development efforts at the local level,” Secretary McNair said.
“Building out Alabama’s outdoor recreation infrastructure will make the state a more attractive location for high-skill workers and help us more fully develop an ecosystem for entrepreneurship and technological innovation.”
Montgomery Whitewater opened in July 2023 at the Maxwell Capital Gateway to Montgomery, along the Interstate 65 corridor. The center is anchored by an Olympic-standard recirculating whitewater course, which allows users of all ages and skill sets to participate at difficulty levels ranging from beginner to expert.
Montgomery Whitewater is hosting the U.S Olympic trials for hopefuls in Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross on this Saturday and Sunday, and the athletes were training during today’s tour.
TALENT ATTRACTION
Secretary McNair and the Innovate Alabama team were invited to visit the venue to view the athletes training, meet with the center’s leadership and see firsthand how outdoor recreation can be a powerful business recruiting tool.
“Outdoor recreation is an integral part of Innovate Alabama’s mission,” Innovate Alabama CEO Cynthia Crutchfield said. “Facilities like Montgomery Whitewater will be catalysts for attracting innovative talent and entrepreneurs to Alabama and give us an opportunity to show off Alabama’s treasured outdoor recreation assets.”
A Hoover Institution report, prepared for Innovate Alabama, asserted that a substantial, coordinated, and long-term program of investment in outdoor recreation infrastructure would yield substantial returns to the state.
The report added that Alabama has a vast endowment of natural assets that can be leveraged to expand its outdoor recreation industry, enhancing the state’s attractiveness for high-skill individuals and new tourists.
Crutchfield and Innovate Alabama are part of the team working with Secretary McNair on the new economic development strategic plan, at the request of Governor Kay Ivey. Representatives from the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and Retirement Systems of Alabama are also included.
The completed plan is due to Governor Ivey on Oct. 1.
“One of my first meetings in this position was with Cynthia and, immediately, we had all kinds of bridges we wanted to build between Commerce and Innovate Alabama. I want to first and foremost tell the Innovate Alabama team that you will have a great partner in Commerce,” McNair told the tour group.
“We firmly believe in your mission and, with one of your pillars being outdoor recreation, as a catalyst for innovation, we obviously couldn’t agree with you more,” she added.
The Montgomery Whitewater park project resulted from an unprecedented partnership between the Montgomery County Commission, the City of Montgomery and the State of Alabama.
“This is the story of an amazing partnership, a public-private partnership, and it’s about an integrated approach to economic development” that includes recreation as a component, said Anne Buckalew, president and CEO of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.
Stacey Hepp, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Race Director who was involved in the development of Montgomery Whitewater, told the tour group that a similar facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been at the center of that city’s economic growth arc.
She said she expects a similar story to play out in Montgomery.
“There’s so much innovation, and there is so much synergy, so I think having this location here and having so much all in one spot, I think you guys should just buckle your seatbelt because I think you’re about to get really, really busy,” Hepp said.
