Northfield Downtown Development Corporation

Over forty people, most of them Northfield retailers, showed up at the Grand Event Center early this morning to discuss the Retail Support Strategies Task Force’s report. For those who haven’t been following the work of this group, the Task Force was established in early 2007 to tackle one of the goals of the Northfield Economic Development Authority’s master plan for economic development in the city, “Develop a coordinated retail strategy.” Representing both retail districts, Downtown and “Uptown” (the district flanking south Highway 3), this morning’s gathering considered and discussed the Task Force’s findings and recommendations.

The stated outcome for the today’s meeting was to identify five to seven strategies to pursue immediately (given appropriate resources of time and dollars), with the longer-term goal of implementing some of the almost three dozen Task Force recommendations over the next three to eighteen months. Based on the notes taken by NDDC Board Members, we’ve still got at least a dozen strategies that the group suggested merit further consideration.

Some of the topics discussed at length today were the need for an increasingly sophisticated events calendar that pulls info from a wider range of event sponsors and pushes selective info out to specific segments of the business community, the recognition that retailers need to shape their product mix and marketing appeal to meet both local residents and visitors to build the broadest base of customers, and the belief that public investment should be strategically targeted on projects that will provide the financial leverage to produce significant economic benefits for Northfield.

Next steps includes sending these higher visibility action steps out to the attendees of this morning’s meeting and ask them for further prioritization, as well as soliciting additional ideas that may have percolated since this morning’s cup of coffee. Once we identify these priorities, and have a more focused action plan, we’ll work with our economic development partners, as well as Northfield’s retail community, to steadily implement the ideas.

It’s been a pretty good few months for Downtown Northfield, at least in terms of positive press about our walkable shopping district in our authentic historic center.

Last fall, the St. Paul Pioneer Press suggested that we were the top holiday shopping destination in the upper Midwest. This summer, the Project for Public Spaces named Downtown Northfield the best small town neighborhood in North America. Now the Star Tribune put us first on the list of their new Day Trips feature.

The article mentions our “bohemian ambiance”, which apparently includes a kid in dreadlocks serving tea, a collection of mothers with toddlers lunching at a deli, an upscale art gallery and an old-school bakery. It goes on to say that the fact that “the college crowd shares the streets so amiably with townies not only adds to Northfield’s appeal, it speaks volumes about it. No matter your type, something will grab you among the pretty parks, many restaurants and eclectic stores (not a chain among them) that hug the Cannon River.”

The feature also highlights the Riverwalk, the Northfield Historical Society Museum, digs, Hodge-Podge que, Swag, Goodbye Blue Monday, and Hogan Brothers. It suggests “a grand old river inn”, the Archer House, as the place to spend the night.

Thanks to the Star Tribune and Kerri Westenberg for a great article about a great place!

As I noted in the previous post, I recently visited a small town in Iowa. In fact, it was Grinnell.

The town, at a little over 9,000 residents, is about half the size of Northfield. However, in spite of its relatively modest population, it has a visibly vital downtown. No doubt part of this vitality is due to Grinnell College, located at the north end of downtown.

As I mentioned in the post on their downtown library, the town has an interesting mix of retail offerings, many of which are familiar to us in Northfield. However, they’ve got something that we don’t have here…

…a downtown movie theater.

As I headed to my car after dinner, to drive to the motel out on the highway (there’s no Archer House in Grinnell), a large group of college students walked by, heading to…

…the downtown movie theater.

They could use non-motorized transportation, it was just a few blocks away.

A downtown movie theater…

…what a great idea!

I was strolling around a pedestrian-friendly shopping district in a small Iowa town, really enjoying life. It was a sunny autumn day, my challenges were far away, and I had finally, at least temporarily, escaped the strife.

I was struck that this town was just about perfect. I wondered what seemed so right and then I began to look around, to see what cornerstones were in place.

To my right was the city hall and community center. To my left was the historic post office. Directly in front of me was the downtown library.

Oh sure, there were pizza places, a Chinese restaurant, and an Internet cafe or two, a woman’s clothing store, a bakery, a shoe store, a bike shop, a couple of churches, a radio station, a music store, banks, law offices, dentists and doctors and, oh yeah, a downtown grocery store…

…but it really seemed like it’s the substantial and quality public investment that creates the base and/or basis of the private investment that generates the economic vitality and keeps the community strong.

The Task Force Reports to its Stakeholders
Tuesday, October 23rd
8:00 am
at the Grand Event Center
316 Washington Street
Northfield, Minnesota

In February, the NDDC and Chamber met with stakeholders to gather input for the Retail Support Strategies Task Force.

The Task Force met over a six-month period, exploring such topics as the existing support system for retail, the relationship between the two primary retail districts, the needs of existing retailers, the obstacles to economic development, and opportunities for greater retail leverage from assets and events. The group also met with the U of M Extension Service, the City Administrator and members of the EDA.

The Task Force has completed the three phases of their work and has presented their findings to the EDA. Now the Task Force wants feedback from their stakeholders, Northfield’s retail community.

So, the Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Authority, and the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation invite retailers to the Grand to hear the Task Force’s recommendations, offer additions, corrections or comments, and help us achieve successful implementation of the recommendations.

The ultimate goal is to make Northfield more business-friendly.