1. Report from Main Street Managers’ Meeting
August 19-21st, 2015
Smithfield, NC

2. Key Points
Becoming Development Ready
Four Point Refresh

3. Becoming Development Ready
Generational Preferences
The market for city living
“Cityness” Qualities
Community Initiated Development

4. Becoming Development Ready
Generational Preferences
The National Association of Realtors reports that housing preferences are shifting towards areas with Smart Growth, walkability, sense of place, that are in-town (could be big city or small town)
Millennials and Boomers are leading the way
Why: Connections, convenience, car independence

5. Becoming Development Ready
The Market for City Living
Locational Indifference (40% of Americans free-lancing by 2020)
Affordable City Life
Demographic Data

6. Becoming Development Ready
The Market for City Living
City Living Preference by Generation (expressed as a %)
Your City’s Total Population by Generation
Multiply Your City’s Total Population by Generation by the Percent in Column #1
30% of Millennials
30% of Boomers
14% of GenX
(with School-Age Families)
2% of GenX (Transitioning to Empty Nesters)
2127
638
1943
582
2668
373 53

7. Becoming Development Ready
“Cityness Qualities”
A vibrant downtown (or commercial area)
A Strong Sense of Place
A Local Food Culture
Arts & Culture
Diversity of Housing Options
Diversity of Business Activity

8. Becoming Development Ready
“Cityness Qualities”
Visible, High Quality & Well-maintained public sector investment
Technology Infrastructure
Density and Proximity
Walkability
Improving in-town educational opportunities
Clean, Safe, Beautiful

9. Becoming Development Ready
Community Initiated Development

11. Becoming Development Ready
Community Initiated Development
=Active Economic Engagement:
The private sector can’t act
The private sector won’t act
When it is essential to influence the character, quality, use, or timing of appropriate development
When a public benefit is accrued
When the development can be a catalyst for additional activity
But it’s a public-private partnership. (we don’t just rehab it and then hope it sells). It’s not about eliminating the math problem for developers, it’s about changing it. So it’s a true development partnership (like subsidizing the ground floor), not gambling. Well you are gambling, but you’re not going it alone. It’s not local government’s role to do development. It’s local government’s role to restructure the economic environment (change the math problem) so that the town is ready again for private sector development.

12. 4 Point Refresh
Main Street at its heart is an economic development program
The 4-Point Refresh is a new approach to work plan development that ensures that economic development strategy runs through all four committees
This is achieved with an economic positioning statement
People were building silos in 4 committees. It shouldn’t be “promotion activity” and “ERC activity” done separately. And they shouldn’t be things that have nothing to do with the ED Strategy you defined in your vision.
-The ED positioning statement needs to be the same for all four committees!

13. 4 Point Refresh Positioning Statements Unique and specific
Defines your downtown’s role in economic development
What does your business mix say about your downtown?
What can your community achieve and how will it be different than other downtowns in your area?
Needs to be entrenched in reality
Then carry your economic strategy defined in your vision across the four point approach

14. 4 Point Refresh Positioning Statements Garner
Downtown Garner is a hub of sports and recreation and the center of arts and culture for the community and provides an ideal setting to nurture Garner’s emerging business leaders and active citizens while preserving the unique history of the community.
Belmont
Downtown Belmont is weaving a history of active local living with garden to table dining, diverse outdoor recreational opportunities and family friendly entertainment. Growing the largest collection of independently owned businesses in Belmont, Historic downtown exemplifies our local values that support an entrepreneurial environment.

16. Questions?