As
a follow-up to a previous urban design plan, we developed a detailed economic
development component and action plan for the Connell City Administrator and
City Economic Development Task Force.
Connell recently improved the main
arterial roadway leading into the downtown core with design standards for
downtown streetscape we had developed during an earlier planning effort for the
downtown. The city now wanted to create economic development strategies for the
larger community including concepts for promoting special events and tourism,
and developing underutilized downtown properties and historic buildings.
We
conducted a series of public workshops with the Connell Economic Development
Task Force, business and property owners, and downtown residents to formulate
economic strategies for promoting the community, attracting new industry and
tourists, packaging underdeveloped properties and buildings, and implementing
key business expansion opportunities.
Using
workshop results, we created design and development concepts for the renovation
of the downtown core including parking, traffic, land use, and urban design
elements. We also developed a detailed 12-month and 6-year action plan for
organizing promotional, administrative, design, and development tasks to be
accomplished by the city, school district, chamber of commerce, and others.
As
a result of the community action planning, the city acquired and renovated an
historic church for a special event facility and museum, acquired an historic
railway caboose for an open market exhibit, and initiated action on a key vacant
downtown hardware store for incubator activities.