Northfield Downtown Development Corporation

This week’s Wednesday edition of the Northfield News has one of the best editorials that I’ve read in a long time. It encourages Northfielders to support local merchants when doing their Holiday Shopping.

Not only does it share a message that is near and dear to the hearts of the folks at the NDDC, but the paper gets almost edgy. The editorial shares facts on the higher retention rate of dollars spent at locally-owned businesses, the economic benefit of such spending to the local tax base and the higher level of contributions to charities in the community that shopping local generates.

Louie and Devlyn, please consider this to be an “official” thank-you from the NDDC. We think it’s a brilliant piece.

While you’re reading Wednesday’s paper, please be sure to check out the NDDC’s ad with yet another reason for shopping in downtown Northfield. It’s the second in a five-part series that we’re running this season. Each ad has a different reason but promotes the same theme…shop local.

Yes, Tracy and I will have an on-going “discussion” about arts and economic development, at least to keep our wits sharp, but quite often, we actually agree on topics. But hey, ain’t that what democracy is all about?

She sent me this great link to a newspaper article from the left coast that couldn’t be more timely…or in line with my views about where consumers should spend their money. $13 or $45, with more for community charities and local taxes to boot, you, indeed, make the choice.

Thanks Tracy…and keep those tomatoes coming, I’m going to make a big batch of chili…

At their next Fourth Monday Town Meeting, the League of Women Voters is having the event produced by Ron Nuebel’s senior class on Political Economics. The topic is the Curfew Ordinance. The students are assembling a power-packed panel, including a veritable “who’s who” of community leaders.

Griff Wigley interviewed Bianca Lutchen, a member of Mr. Nuebel’s class, on Locally Grown. She foreshadows the complex and challenging issues that will be discussed at the Town Meeting.

It should be a fascinating topic, so be sure to check it out. That’s Monday, November 27th, 7 pm, in the meeting room of the Northfield Public Libarary. All meetings are open to the public. Call 663-6097 for further information.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press ranked holiday shopping destinations in an article titled 5 great: shopping towns and guess who came out on top?

That’s right good old Northfield, with its authentic downtown. As the article in Sunday’s paper said, “Anyone can shop for holiday gifts online or at the mall”. But if you’re a little more daring or creative and you “enjoy the thrill of the hunt” and “you want to bask in holiday atmosphere” the paper suggests five places worth exploring, with Northfield leading the pack.

Who else in the list? Well, you might be surprised with the heady company we’re keeping as a top holiday shopping destination in the upper Midwest region.

Click these downtown photos to enlarge and see 100+ more photos in the 2004 Winter Walk album.

Anyone following City of Northfield initiatives or the NDDC blog postings would be at least somewhat aware of the Streetscape projects that have been discussed for the past three or four years and the actual results, including the pavers to Bridge Square, the Library Plaza, and, my favorite, the bike racks.

One of the next projects scheduled to be implemented is what some people have called Parking Lot Enhancement and I refer to as Downtown Parking Visibility. It’s basically aesthetic treatments of the edges and entrances of existing major parking areas in downtown. For an example, think of the landscaping, brick wall and iron railing on the liquor store parking lot at 5th and Water Streets.

The NDDC board members involved in this project, Joe Grundhoefer and Keith Covey, have been supportive of this particular streetscape project. Their view is that for not a huge investment, we’ll get more leverage out of existing infrastructure through increasing awareness of our downtown parking.

I’m all over that line of thinking but I’ve got a new twist, let’s make it GREEN. After listening to the LID folks the other night at the Planning Commission meeting, I would suggest that we try to make the landscaping more than decorative and perhaps dig a little deeper to make it a rain garden with stormwater cleansing potential, or a bioretention system.

I’m no rocket scientist, but I think it’s worth a look. For not a lot more money, I think that we can get a lot more functionality.