| The city of Bremerton will host a conference in September focused on urban waterfront revitalization. The three-day conference, Sept. 10-13, will be held at the Kitsap Conference Center, with Bremerton’s own revitalized waterfront as a backdrop.
Organizers say the conference will showcases case studies and solutions from real projects and leaders who have pioneered ideas in their own communities. Speakers will range from several mayors, including Bremerton’s Cary Bozeman; Don Amos of Sidney, B.C.; and Ellen Moyer of Annapolis, Maryland; managers from several agencies and leaders from the private sector including Olympic Property Group President Jon Rose and OPUS Senior Real Estate Director PJ Santos.
The sessions will focus on financing, transportation, sustainability, marketing and other topics.
For Bozeman, the topic should be a breeze. He has been carrying his message about Bremerton’s renewal and economic development to many events, speaking engagements and media interviews. As recently as July he spoke about economic development at the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon, saying, “I don’t believe attracting new businesses is about hiring an economic development director and giving him a phone.” He added that it’s about outlining things like quality of life and schools as important aspects of economic development. “Even the flower boxes we put downtown are about commerce,” he said.
Two pre-conference workshops will start on Wednesday morning, Sept. 10. The conference begins at noon, and the first presentation in the afternoon will feature Bremerton, Sidney as well as Sausalito, Calif., in a sessions called “Waterfronts for the 21st Century.”
The conference is geared toward planners, elected officials, architects, developers and other professionals. It has attracted more than 150 people from more than 30 cities and 12 ports by mid-August, according to the event’s Web site, http://sustainabilitypro.com/uwr_2008.php.
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