The city of Burbank has won three awards for economic development efforts last year in a statewide competition. The city’s business and economic development division won three awards of merit in three categories for the MUD Paseo Project, Burbank Tech Talks and the Burbank Economic Development Annual Report for 2016 from the California Association for Local Economic Development. Under the category of public-private partnerships, Burbank won for the MUD Paseo Enhancement Project in the downtown area. With funding from the Downtown Burbank Partnership, the city created a paseo at 129 S. San Fernando Blvd. with new pavement, decorative elements and sitting areas to provide public access from parking lots for students of the Make Up Designory. Burbank Tech Talks won the programs award. The four-part speaker series that launched in September was aimed at entrepreneurs, and created a networking environment that promoted and grew startup industries engaged in technology, media, biotech and clean technology. Burbank Tech Talks grew out of the Burbank Tech Summit in November 2015 with more than 180 businesses. Under the category for promotions, Burbank won with its Business and Economic Development Annual Report for 2016. The report was recognized for communicating the city’s accomplishments and distributing its new economic data. The report includes incentives, demographics, economic indicators, research, employment data, economic development initiatives, neighborhood profiles, retail recruitment efforts and results, impacts of the visitor market and commercial development updates.
