The co-chairs of each of the 11 “capitals” of the Capital Crossroads regional planning initiative gathered today for the third meeting of the year to provide brief progress reports on their respective capitals.

I attended the meeting in an effort to get a sense of how things are going on the ambitious and expansive project. Many of the groundwork initiatives and projects have been moving forward, and it’s clear that across the capitals, the efforts have worked their way into many of the initiatives we’re seeing in Central Iowa.

Below are a few quick takeaways from today’s meeting, but make sure to check out our ongoing coverage of the initiative and all the capitals at businessrecord.com/capitalcrossroads.

Capital Corridor marketing firm selection delayed
One of the key aspects of the Capital Corridor, which is headed by Steve Zumbach and Steven Leath, is to identify how Central Iowa can brand itself as a life-sciences hub that will attract talent from across the country. As part of that, the committee had planned this past quarter to hire a marketing consultant to assist in developing a plan to promote the region. Zumbach reported this morning that the committee – which included marketing representatives from local companies – interviewed four firms, but that none of the firms interviews met its expectations. Many communities are attempting to do similar branding initiatives, and Zumbach said it was of extreme importance to the committee that the marketing for the Capital Cooridor was distinguished and different from the other efforts. As a result, the committee will be interviewing six firms – three national and three local – during the next quarter.

Marketing culture
One of the main focuses right now for the Cultural Capital is to educate the public on the economic value of culture. Mary Cownie, co-chair of the Cultural Capital, said today that the committee will be working with Flynn Wright and Catchfire Media LLC to develop a marketing and public relations campaign for culture in the region. Two key parts of that will be the results of an Iowa State University economic impact study of culture and a planned survey by the Cultural Capital that will reveal how people currently view culture in Central Iowa. The committee is also working with the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau to create a cultural tourism plan, Cownie said.

Quick Hits:
– Mary O’Keefe, co-chair of the Capital Core, said the Principal Riverwalk will be completed by the end of the year, and that they are close to having a tenant in the “Hub Spot” at the intersection of Court Avenue and Water Street in downtown Des Moines. Click here to read Dave Elbert’s column on the Riverwalk

– Central Iowa SourceLink, a resource website launched in May for small businesses and entrepreneurs, now has 169 organizations listed as resources, said Business Capital Co-chair Kathryn Kunert. A statewide site is planned to launch in November. Click here to learn more about SourceLink

– Bob Andeweg, co-chair of the Governance Capital, said his committee is working to foster collaboration between cities on brush cleanup. That might not sound all that sexy, but it could help prevent the spread of the emerald ash borer – an Asian insect that kills Ash trees – if and when it makes its way to Central Iowa. Learn more here

– Wellness Capital Co-chair Laura Jackson said today that approximately 900 businesses responded to a wellness survey performed by Clive-based David P. Lind and Associates LC. The survey aimed to gain a better understanding of existing wellness resources and to identify where gaps exist. Jackson said the results of that study would be released in the next 30 days.

– Ames to Des Moines transportation talks seem to be percolating once again. Physical Capital Co-chair Dave Caris said today that the Des Moines Metropolitan Planning Organization is considering re-convening a committee on the issue, and that a study in 2013 is a possibility.