Economic development remains strong in Ottawa according to mayor

The economy and unemployment situation has a lot of area towns at a standstill when it comes to development, but the mayor of Ottawa remains optimistic.

Mayor Bob Eschbach used his annual State of the City address Thursday to say 2010 has been a good year for Ottawa in terms of economic development.  He says they’ve handled $47.5 million in new construction permits, more than they did last year.

He notes that that doesn’t include construction permits for a new Central School.  He also says it’s nice to say Ottawa is a college town since the opening of Illinois Valley Community College’s satellite campus downtown.

When talking finances, he takes a different tone.  Eschbach says the city’s been able to cut spending but they remain concerned about paying for employee pensions and healthcare costs.

The State of the City address was organized by the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry.