Why Downtown is Important

Downtown is Important for Local Quality of Life

Downtown's health is a symbol of:

• community economic health,
• the private/public economic development partnership,
• local quality of life, local pride and community history and identity

Downtown is the heart of the community for government, culture and churches.  Downtown is an important community gathering place for all residents.

Downtown Supports Small Business

• Downtown is a good incubator for new small businesses - the success of tomorrow.  Strip centers and malls are often too expensive for new entrepreneurs.
• Independent businesses (mostly located downtown) support a local family (who support local schools, etc.)
• Independent business keep profits in town, chains in the strip center and in the mall send profits out of town.
• Local independent businesses support local community projects.

Downtown is Important for Local Economic Development

• Downtown is a major employer.
• A strong downtown helps reduce sprawl.
• Downtown provides a shopping alternative to national chains.
• Downtown is important for industrial recruitment, because developers use downtown's heart as a gauge of local quality of life.
• Downtown provides a return on investment to taxpayers through taxes.
• The rehabilitation of older downtown buildings supports local jobs.  In new commercial constructions the materials and labor often come from out of town.