During a plenary session of the 68th Annual Conference in Seattle, Denver Mayor and Conference President Wellington E. Webb urged his fellow Mayors to follow his lead by submitting the names of fast-growing inner city businesses to the Boston-based non-profit Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (or ICIC). The ICIC and the Conference have partnered with Inc. Magazine to promote the Inner City 100 list, which sets out to refurbish the image of urban economies.

"What’s exciting about this list," Mayor Webb said, "is that it changes the stereotype that business cannot flourish in the inner city. In fact, these success stories have come as a result of the unique advantages of core urban areas, namely access to urban infrastructure like highways and mass transit, a large labor pool, and proximity to other businesses and industry in downtown areas."

Mayor Webb invited Mayors to join him in recasting the image of the inner city by nominating successful inner city businesses their respective cities. "Many of you responded to the call for nominations this year, and for many, your city was rewarded by earning a spot on this elite list," he said.

At the announcement, Karen Dillon, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Inc. joined Mayor Webb at the podium to present awards to Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, and St. Louis Mayor Clarence Harmon whose business nominees were ranked among the nation’s fastest growing inner city businesses.

For further information, contact Zoe Cohen at the ICIC at 617-292-2363 or visit www.icic.org  

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