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MOTIVATING PHILOSOPHY

Why is Downtown Important?

Russelville Depot

Your downtown is the most visible indicator of community pride. Downtown is either an asset or a liability in the effort to recruit new residents, new businesses and industries, retirees, tourists, and others to your community and to keep those you already have. Quality of life will be what separates successful cities and counties from declining communities in the new millenium.

A community's downtown represents millions of dollars of government investment in public property and infrastructure. It is good public policy to protect this investment.

Downtown is a "commercial park" for small businesses the same way an industrial park serves manufacturers. More job growth is projected to occur in small businesses in the next two decades than in any other sector of the economy. Downtown remains a major employer in most communities and may be the largest employer.

Finally, your downtown is the core for your community heritage. The architecture of downtown is a physical expression of your community's history. Main Street Arkansas encourages economic development through a historic preservation context so this legacy can be passed on to future generations.

How much of the shopping dollar is retained in the community?

• 6 cents of every dollar spent with a big box retailer is retained/recirculated in a community. Source: Rocky Mountain Institute
• 20 cents of every dollar spent with a chain store is retained/recirculated in a community. Source: Small Business Administration
• 60 cents of every dollar spent with a sole proprietorship is retained/recirculated in a community. Source: Small Business Administration

10 Reasons Why Downtown is Important

These images were taken from the same corner, Washington and Main Streets, in El Dorado. The one on top depicts an attempt at urban renewal in the 1970's that included closing off vehicular access to the courthouse square. Today (right), barricades and slipcovers have been removed, landscaping has been added and buildings have been rehabilitated.
1. Downtown is a symbol of:
   • community economic health
   • partnership between the private and the public sector
   • local quality of life
   • local pride and
   • community history
2. It's an important factor for industrial, commercial and professional recruitment.
   
   
3. Downtown serves as a good incubator for new small business - the success of tomorrow.
   • Strips and Malls are often too expensive for new entrepreneurs.
   • Lower rents make downtown a good location.
4. Downtown represents independent businesses which:
   • support a local family
   • support local community projects, such as schools and teams
   • keep profits in town
5. It helps reduce sprawl by concentrating activity in one area.
   
   
6. Downtown is a major employer. Often when you count the number of jobs in a community you will find that downtown is the largest employer.
   
   The infrastructure of downtown is a major public investment. Only healthy businesses in buildings assessed at full value generate taxes that give taxpayers a return on this public investment. Vacant storefronts in a downtown area actually cost the community money.
   
   A revitalized downtown protects property values in surrounding residential neighborhoods.
   
   
7. Rehabilitation work in the downtown stimulates the local economy. Materials and labor for new commercial construction often comes from out of town.
   
   
8. Downtown is the heart of the community, and the site for government, arts, churches, and financial institutions.
   
   
9. Downtown is an important community space, where members of all segments of the community can meet equally for parades, speeches and other community events.
   
   
10. Downtown can be a tourist attraction and is the location of a community's unique businesses and buildings.