In Monticello, IL (est. pop. 5,695), the city is encouraging downtown property owners to improve their historic buildings through a more generous grant program aimed at beautifying the small city’s historic district. Monticello Main Street and the city operated a Façade Improvement Grant program that distributed more than $1 million over 19 years. But in…To read more — login/subscribe
Cities large and small are looking for strategies to address homelessness. Austin, TX, might have the most aggressive approach: The city is investing tens of millions of dollars to purchase hotels to serve as housing for the homeless. Austin Mayor Steve Adler has proposed buying 10 motels, one in each of the city’s 10 city…To read more — login/subscribe
It’s been over a decade since Philip Walker published his piece the “Top 10 Myths of Downtown Planning,” but his analysis remains timely. Walker, head of The Walker Collaborative, says residents, city officials, and business owners often fall victim to commonly held “misinformed notions,” which can hinder downtown development. They are: • Our downtown needs…To read more — login/subscribe
Independent retailers have struggled during the coronavirus pandemic. Jef Buehler, head of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ Neighborhood Preservation Program, offers a workaround: Merchants can find ways to share costs and space with other organizations. Buehler points to a store in Frenchtown, NJ (est. pop. 1,464). Frenchtown Home Hardware & Outdoors partnered with…To read more — login/subscribe
There are several ways to structure co-retailing to fit available downtown spaces and the needs of entrepreneurs. For co-retailing to work well, a landlord must approve the arrangement, a business owner can sublet part of his/her current space, or a group of business owners can seek out and lease a single space together, says Independent…To read more — login/subscribe
When workers return downtown in a number of cities, they will be greeted by a range of new parking technologies. These include touchless transactions, license plate enforcement, and new approaches to managing ride-hailing services. The City of West Palm Beach, FL (est. pop. 109,767), is among a growing number of cities implementing parking management technology…To read more — login/subscribe
In little Cherry Valley, NY (est. pop. 486), local artists have revived their tiny town’s image by brightening storefronts. As Cherry Valley resident Anne Loretto tells the New York Times, she mused about how to enliven the downtown’s desolate main drag. “I thought, ‘Look at all of this window space, all of this visibility,’” Loretto…To read more — login/subscribe
The City of Brockton, MA, is working to keep government buildings downtown. Despite a requirement that federal agencies consider downtown areas first when looking for new space, several important offices have left the city center. State social service offices and the federal social security branch have left downtown, and the Plymouth County district attorney and…To read more — login/subscribe
Like restaurants and retail, many downtown movie theaters have been hard hit by the pandemic. In Tucson, AZ, the improvement district is stepping in to save the city’s historic Fox Tucson Theater. The venue began life in 1930 as a dual vaudeville/movie house. Prior to the pandemic, the Fox was hosting 150-160 events annually and…To read more — login/subscribe
In an effort to attract grocery stores to underserved areas of the city, Wilmington, NC, is considering banning some discount stores. As the local Port City Daily reports, the move follows the lead of several larger cities that have limited stores, such as Dollar General and Family Dollar, in the hopes of attracting full-service grocery…To read more — login/subscribe
