A catalyst for community growth.

Tex Randall is standing taller these days—a tall order indeed for a seven-ton cement and steel cowboy who stretches 47 feet into the sky. The reason? After 60 years of being battered and tattered out in panhandle weather, the towering Texas icon recently regained his color and character, all thanks to a collaborative state and local effort in which the Canyon Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) served as a key player.

Another collaborative restoration ensured that the historic former Randall County Courthouse, a turn-of-the-century Renaissance Revival masterpiece, regained its emblematic elegance as a civic centerpiece.

However, the true beauty of CEDC initiatives is visible in more than just rejuvenated facades. Canyon is generating real economic growth through evidence-based practices, and through the carefully devised Canyon Strategic Plan. Guided by the Plan as well as the national Main Street’s proven Four-Point Approach, the CEDC has shepherded into existence a new and exciting Downtown Dining District and a popular open-air retail mall, the Shops on Fifth Avenue. Local retail and the Downtown Dining District have improved the residential quality of life even as they have become premier visitor attractions.

More significantly, Canyon’s success is evident in steadily rising tax revenue, up 11% in 2017 alone; direct travel dollars spent in Canyon are also rising, up 13% in 2017 to a total of $124 million. And CEDC cross-sector efforts are ensuring a stronger economy years into future. The selection of Canyon as the site for the Lone Star milk processing plant is expected to produce a $75 million local economic impact by the year 2026.

Whether in revamping an icon, renovating a historic landmark, or revitalizing a downtown—by sparking growth across sectors and across the city, the CEDC is catalyzing real civic and economic prosperity.

And that’s yet another reason for Tex Randall to stand a little taller today.