My commentary on LAIC board member Mike McDowell's condescending blog post erupted into a spirited comment-section conversation yesterday about practical things Madison could do to promote downtown economic development.
There was some reasonable pessimism about the viability of downtown development. But the latest Prairie Business reminds us why downtown matters:
The downtown is the heart and soul of a community," states Mike Hahn, President and CEO of the Fargo-Moorhead Downtown Community Partnership. "To really experience the feel of the community and perspective, you need a downtown. It is also reflective of the personality of the community."
..."The health of downtown is a reflection on your entire community," says Jennifer Schmidtbauer, Vice President of Downtown Sioux Falls. "Historically, it was where commerce started and your government was located. A community that supports and invests in downtown really shows its importance and is a good yardstick of a community" [Alan Van Ormer, "Managing Our Region's Downtown Corridors," Prairie Business, June 2011].
Madison's downtown has seen the Stadium Grill and Mochavino start up and establish themselves... but it has also seen Dakota Drug fold, with Books & More to follow soon. By that yardstick, our downtown shows Madison... treading water? (Feel free to add your count of downtown successes and failures in the comment section!)
Van Ormer's article is chock full of practical projects in Fargo-Moorhead, Sioux Falls, Mandan, and Watertown to revitalize their downtowns. Local LAIC exec Dwaine Chapel is on the Prairie Biz editorial advisory board*, so he is surely aware of this successful programs. Now that Forward Madison is winding down, expect Chapel, McDowell, and the LAIC board to put these great downtown ideas into visible action.
I grew up on a farm one mile from a town of 275. So downtown was all there was. Now in a small city like Sioux Falls I hear this attitude that downtown is the gauge of a city. Will that is small town talk and mind set. The bigger your city gets the more you will realize that there is more places to shop than downtown. Since the malls came to Sioux Falls we have seen a dramatic change in downtown. It almost died and then it got a new life of its own. Down town just becomes another neighborhood. All your neighborhoods are important.
I rode through Witchita, KS and saw a very drab old city and then came past downtown and all the big colorful skyscrapers looked fabulous. Now they built a new events center and had to put it downtown and see how good downtown looks. It looked good before. If that is where you put all your money you will have a good downtown and not much else.
As your city grows, some areas might lose a little and others gain. Look at the big picture. If the people start shopping at the mall of walmart, remember that when you give the big guys a good deal to compete with your own little guys. Be fair to all but do not cut your own people out to make yourself feel big by bringing in a walmart, and then wonder why downtown died.