As unique as communities are from one another with respect to their special geographic locations and cultural heritage, communities are also common in many respects by their infrastructure, provision of services to residents and keeping an eye on their budgets and spending. As community economic development advisors, we are often asked what downtown things should communities invest in first with the available downtown dollars they have.
The answer: It depends…..on where your community is on the revitalization continuum. It generally follows that an early assessment, organizational and planning phase is essential to revitalizing a downtown, but beyond that what’s the initial step communities can take to move forward? Improve basic infrastructure, examine the conditions of commercial building inventory, create urban amenities, attract an interesting mix of retail and commercial business, eliminate blighting influences (including environmental remediation), and the list goes on.
An initial downtown assessment and planning phase will outline strengths and needs and also offer suggestions on priorities. But to begin actually implementing plans and ideas, how do you move from where your downtown is currently?
Maybe you focus first on improving existing strengths in your downtown; maybe you work with properties which are currently available, affordable and ready to be redeveloped (the low hanging fruit opportunity); or identify and work first with an interested entrepreneur who wants to open a downtown business; or work with an investor who wants to in-fill, build or buy and renovate a building.
Other answers to the question, “What should my downtown invest in first?” include: evaluate the entry to the downtown (improving your gateway); concentrate on renovating one historic or other prominent building based on budget and scope; work with local business to create excitement in one (or a group of) retail storefront(s) (others will follow!), acquire and raze one blighted property, create and market a downtown event.
The answer to the question, “Which comes first?” is: All of the above! Ideally a community should work simultaneously on as many opportunities as practical, but in the alternative…. at least do something!
