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Frank LaTorre remembers when the price tag for the Providence River Pedestrian Bridge was just $3 million. It was back in the 1990s, and the idea was to turn the Route 195 span over the Providence River into a walkway connecting the urban core. By the time the project was finally completed this summer, the…Continue reading
In Battle Creek, MI, generous incentives are attracting tenants to the downtown district. Battle Creek Unlimited Inc. offers subsidies of as much as $200,000 to breweries and restaurants. New Holland Brewing Co. landed the first incentive; it used the money toward a $1 million renovation of an 18,000-square-foot building. The total project is worth $5…Continue reading
Downtown offers incentives to breweries, restaurants — Battle Creek, MI, is using generous incentives to attract tenants to its downtown district. See their most recent request for proposals.
...Help businesses thrive during road work — Wiscasset, ME, undertook a sweeping redesign of Main Street that includes widening sidewalks, adding lighting, installing bollards, renovating sidewalks, improving drainage, and redesigning parking. To help local leaders around the state minimize the impact of such projects, MaineDOT developed Digging Maine, a guide to surviving road construction. ...
Chicago mayor proposes ban on downtown marijuana dispensaries — In Chicago, landlords and cannabis entrepreneurs are gearing up for a new business opportunity presented by Illinois’ legalization of recreational marijuana. Read Downtown Idea Exchange’s coverage of cannabis stores downtown. ...
Valerie Marmone once ran a clothing boutique in Sacramento, so she knows firsthand how hard it is to operate a retail business in an era of tight margins and online shopping. In her post-entrepreneurial career, Marmone works as vice president of business development at the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. In that role, she runs the annual…Continue reading
With many smaller cities struggling to lure skilled workers, a few downtowns are trying something new: They’re offering to help people pay down their college loans if they move to town. Last year, Hamilton, OH, launched a Talent Attraction Program that offers up to $10,000 to workers who earned college degrees within the past seven…Continue reading
Cities embrace land banks as blight-fighting tool — A land bank’s main goal is forcing ownership changes of buildings that have sat vacant for years or even decades, especially those held by owners who have died or disappeared. Read Frank Alexander’s report on land banks.
...Chalking tires of parked cars? You might be violating motorists’ rights — The age-old parking practice of using chalk to mark the tires of parked cars faces legal scrutiny — and it just might be unconstitutional. See a federal appeals court’s ruling against tire chalking. ...
Business plan competition offers support, spurs growth — The Downtown Sacramento Partnership runs an annual contest that solicits business plans from would-be retailers. The contest, Calling All Dreamers, gives one promising retailer a grand prize of $10,000 in cash plus more than $100,000 in services. Watch finalist videos from the contest below and click this link to see program guidelines. https://youtu.be/CffofZHDLH4 https://youtu.be/O28tGNJZiqE https://youtu.be/e5SJY4H2onA https://youtu.be/6PfzCGoggNM https://youtu.be/PNdkrMe9kkY ...
Fire suppression incentives — To encourage property owners to install sprinklers, the City of Frederick, MD, offers a Fire Suppression Incentive Program. See the details and application. ...
Public art encourages citizen involvement — The Lafayette sign in Lafayette, LA, was erected in 2017 as an interactive public art installation. Local nonprofit groups are encouraged to paint its letters to promote community events and awareness. Read the art guidelines. ...
Parking rate structure encourages turnover — The City of Spokane Downtown Parking Study presents a comprehensive package of recommendations designed to “facilitate growth and activity downtown, while making parking more convenient and user-friendly for residents, businesses, employees, and visitors.” ...
In the annals of cultural assets, a quilting museum and a public mural project might sound like an unremarkable pair of attractions. But Paducah, KY, has combined those two resources with local pride and a relentless place-building campaign to turn itself into a widely recognized arts hub. "The city really sees the value of creativity…Continue reading
Many cities set downtown parking rates and then forget about them for years. A few of the largest cities have embarked on ambitious parking plans that rely on wireless sensors and real-time data to adjust prices throughout the day. Seattle chose a middle route. The city carefully studies parking patterns and then updates rates once…Continue reading
Small city uses arts to drive decades-long renaissance — Paducah, KY, has combined a quilting museum and a public mural project with local pride and a relentless place-building campaign to turn itself into a widely recognized arts hub.
• Read the LowerTown Neighborhood Plan.• Watch a video about Paducah’s renaissance below.
https://youtu.be/4n1z2ra9gU4
...City scrutinizes parking patterns, adjusts rates based on findings — Each spring, Seattle’s consulting firm dispatches researchers to count cars in every block, every hour from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Based on those results, Seattle adjusts hourly parking rates. See the Seattle Department of Transportation’s educational video below. https://youtu.be/BEi0G4rVGUI ...
Millennial SWAT team identifies downtown assets and needs — Springfield, MO, is working to attract millennials to live and work in the city center. Its secret weapon? A Millennial SWAT team. The city organized millennial residents into small teams and sent them into a variety of downtowns that boast features that Springfield might want to emulate. Read the Millennial SWAT team’s full report. ...
The expression of public art and its purpose is evolving as artists and downtown leaders expand the definition to encompass new formats. Underfoot or overhead, a treat for the eyes, ears, or all of the senses, public art is an integral part of many successful downtowns. Barbara Goldstein, a placemaking and public art planning consultant…Continue reading
Atlanta’s post-war boom has positioned it as the archetypal sprawling Sunbelt city. Now, some in the city aim to make downtown friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists by converting some one-way streets to two-way thoroughfares. The downtown business group Central Atlanta Progress has proposed turning six blocks of Baker Street into a two-way street. However, many…Continue reading
Growth of food halls continues — The number of food halls nationally is poised to grow from just 120 in 2016 to 450 by the end of 2020, commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield concludes in its Food Halls 3.0 report.
...Amid shift to pedestrianism, shade takes on new importance — Phoenix has embraced the need for shade. Read the City of Phoenix Tree and Shade Master Plan. ...
