Although unemployment is reaching an all-time low in the area, Altoona Blair County Development Corp. officials say it is not a time to become complacent.

“We can’t take our feet off the gas. Now is a perfect time to double down on our economic development efforts. We will move forward to address challenges aggressively; just being good enough will never be good enough,” Presi­dent/CEO Stephen McKnight said Friday at the organization’s annual meeting at the Blair County Convention Center.

Last year ABCD Corp. took part in 33 business development projects, resulting in more than $31.5 million of new capital investment. Combined these projects added more than 200 new jobs and retained more than 100. Beyond the projects in which ABCD directly participated, the overall Blair County labor market added more than 800 net new jobs, McKnight said.

Among the 2018 highlights were the completion of the Sheetz Operations Training Center project and securing funding and initiating the Mill Project’s environmental assessment and abatement and development construction, said Lori Bechtel-Wherry, ABCD Corp. board chairwoman.

“Our community has been very fortunate to see several major real estate development projects get underway in recent years — especially within the city of Altoona. While all of these projects provide major economic benefits and a higher and better reuse for the places and spaces they surround, a few stand out in terms of their level of investment, complexity, visual impact, the mix of uses they support and the role in which both the public and private sectors needed to partner so that the project can advance,” McKnight said.

“I am excited about what the future holds for ABCD Corp. and all of Blair County and the region. We are proud to call this area home,” Bechtel-Wherry said. “ABCD is the best economic development organization in the country and the state. We are looking forward to growth and prosperity here in 2019 in Blair County and beyond.”

Meanwhile, keynote spea­ker Neil Reid talked about the decline of asso­ciational life — where people spend less time with their coworkers outside of work — and an increase of third places, informal gathering spaces where people exchange ideas, have a good time and build relationships.

Reid, who is known as “The Beer Professor,” is an economic geographer with interests in local economic development. Since 2014, he has been researching the growth of the draft brewing industry in America and its potential role in helping to revitalize neighborhood economies.

Reid said craft breweries are an emerging third place and millennials continue to account for the majority of drinkers.

“Today there are over 7,000 craft breweries across the United States. It is driven by the millennials who are driving this growth and starting craft breweries. Pennsylvania has 354 craft breweries. Craft breweries are often designed with the larger community in mind. They provide opportunities for people of like minds to come together,” Reid said.

Reid said many craft breweries see themselves as a community asset, a place where people can come together to engage in services and nonservice conversations.

“My research has found that breweries attract people. Breweries can act as a catalyst. They can attract visitors from across the region. It is a significantly growing phenomenon. Breweries can spur investment; they will invest in places where others may shun. They realize they will become a destination,” Reid said.

Reid said people in the Altoona area need to figure out what their third places are and use them to their full potential.

“Take stock of what you have and what you can do with them to be more open and visible to bring more people in on a regular basis. Altoona seems to have a vision. There are a lot of things going on, you should be on the way to success,” Reid said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.