Lancaster Economic Development Strategy — Centering People, Place, and Opportunity in North Texas

THE CHALLENGE

Lancaster is not a blank slate. It is a historically rooted, majority-minority city in southern Dallas County with a strong civic identity, deep community ties, and a workforce shaped by generations of residents who live, work, and raise families here.

Over the past decade, Lancaster has successfully attracted industrial growth and logistics activity tied to its location and infrastructure. That growth brought jobs, tax base, and momentum. But it also sharpened a new question: how does Lancaster ensure its next phase of economic development delivers greater opportunity for residents, not just more square footage or truck traffic?

With limited industrial land remaining and intense competition across North Texas, Lancaster cannot afford to be reactive. The challenge is not whether the city will grow. It is how intentionally Lancaster aligns growth with workforce mobility, neighborhood stability, and long-term economic resilience in a diverse community that expects economic development to work for everyone.

THE CIVIC SOLUTION

CivicSol is partnering with the City of Lancaster to develop an implementation-ready Economic Development Strategic Plan that starts with people and places, not just sites and incentives.

The strategy is built around four clear priorities:

• Advancing higher-quality job growth by targeting technology-enabled and advanced manufacturing firms that offer stronger wages, career pathways, and supplier opportunities.
• Strengthening workforce mobility by aligning economic strategy with Dallas College and regional training partners so Lancaster residents can access, prepare for, and advance in future-ready careers.
• Using land and infrastructure strategically, ensuring Lancaster’s remaining industrial capacity supports long-term value creation rather than short-term absorption.
• Embedding equity into economic decision-making, so recruitment, incentives, and partnerships reinforce inclusive growth and reflect Lancaster’s community values.

This work combines rigorous economic and workforce analysis with deep engagement across employers, educators, residents, property owners, and civic leaders. Guided by a Steering Committee, the process is designed to move from insight to execution quickly, producing clear priorities, near-term actions, and accountability for results.

This is not a vision statement. It is a governing framework for how Lancaster grows.

THE IMPACT

This strategy positions Lancaster to compete differently in North Texas — not on speed alone, but on purpose and clarity. It supports job creation that strengthens household stability, connects residents to opportunity, and builds a more resilient local economy over time.

The result is an economic development approach that reflects Lancaster’s identity as a diverse, established community with ambitions beyond logistics. One that values workforce advancement as much as recruitment, long-term prosperity as much as near-term wins, and shared opportunity as a measure of success.

Lancaster’s next chapter is not about becoming something else. It is about becoming more fully itself, with an economic strategy aligned to the people who call the city home.