Summary Increased Marketing Strategy
CRA Staff has been working to develop an increased marketing strategy to reboot visibility and attention to the downtown area. The goal is to develop a well-rounded campaign in order to attract various demographics through social and print media. As part of this effort, staff is working with a local video development company to create short video clips to highlight various areas of the CRA. These videos will be used for social media and possibly television.
US 441 Beautification
Staff is developing a plan to update the US441 corridor. The goal of this plan is to implement features to increase walkability and human scale within the downtown district. The purpose of this is to signal to automobiles passing by on US 441 that they have entered a special area. In addition, this is a step towards encouraging businesses to locate near the downtown where patrons have increased pedestrian accessibility and an enjoyable environment.
Downtown Parking Lot
Staff has been working for several years to build a parking lot located behind the storefronts on the west side of Main Street and south of NW 150th Avenue. To date, staff has acquired the necessary land rights and developed a design of the parking area. Recently, staff further developed the scope of the project to include the undergrounding of utilities located behind the Main Street storefronts between NW 150th Avenue and NW 148th Place. This additional scope will help to prepare the back of building areas for potential future development of outdoor space, such as café seating. Currently, staff is in the process of acquiring a grant through the US Department of Agriculture to fund project construction.
We’ve Noticed
In the past, the Downtown Redevelopment Trust Board implemented a program called “We've Noticed.” Staff is is bringing this program back with monthly recommendations from the CRAAB. Staff will use these recommendations to make a Facebook post highlighting the chosen location.
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