Northfield Downtown Development Corporation

Philip Spensley, Chair of the Northfield Arts and Culture Commission, discusses increasing access of visitor-generating organizations to tourism promotion resources while Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kathy Feldbrugge jots down some thoughts at yesterday’s tourism discussion. Also attending the meeting were Michelle Egeness of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Victor Summa of the Economic Development Authority, Ross Currier of the NDDC, and Hayes Scriven of the Northfield Historical Society.

The meeting grew out of an NDDC Monthly Forum that focused on tourism. After hearing about the experiences and accomplishments of the Chamber, the CVB, the Defeat of Jesse James Days Committee and the Historical Society, audience members encouraged the groups to seek and exploit more opportunities for collaboration.

Topics discussed included The Message and supporting themes, target markets and prepared packages, leveraging lodging from existing assets, and constantly and consistently coordinating calendars. Of particular interest to me was the brainstorming of tourism assets; we quickly moved from the familiar to the completely unexpected.

Everyone seemed energized for the session and we all came out of it with action steps. I do believe that Hayes offered to host the next one.

I stopped by Sisters Ugly to pick up my copy of Meredith Fierke’s “The Procession”. Quite popular here in Northfield, local artist Fierke has been steadily building a regional following. I’ve caught her at the Upstairs Rueb, the Contented Cow, and at last year’s ArtSwirl.

Meredith returns to ArtSwirl this year as a featured artist. Fierke and her band will perform a special CD release concert on Friday, August 8 at Northfield’s historic Grand Theater (at the corner of 4th and Washington Streets) in Downtown Northfield, along with special guest Scaredy Cat Blackie. The doors open at 8 pm.

You can catch a preview of Meredith’s music on the Cities 97 Radio. That’s right, Meredith and her music will be on this Sunday, August 3rd, at 10 pm…or streaming at www.Cities97.com

So, check out Meredith on the radio this Sunday and then come on down(town) to ArtSwirl and join in her CD release party at the Grand.

The following piece appeared on page 6B in the Northfield News’ special Progress section this Saturday. The photo at left, of the NDDC Board of Directors, was submitted but not published with the piece. The numerous references to collaborative efforts in economic development mentioned by the “Four Partners” (the Chamber, the EDA, the NDDC and the NEC) in the special section were, we believe, a positive sign for the community.

Working Together for a Vital and Vibrant Future

The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) continues to follow the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Four Point Main Street strategy, as it has since its creation in 2000. Sharing the belief that a strategy for downtown economic vitality must be comprehensive in order to be both successful and lasting, we are initiating and implementing projects and programs in the four areas of Promotion, Organization, Design and Economic Restructuring. During the past 12 months:

• In the area of Promotion, the NDDC staged the 3^rd Annual “Taste of Northfield”, introduced “Patty Cash”, downtown’s bovine ambassador, and is moving forward on a second “Visit Historic Northfield” sign on Interstate 35.

• In the area of Organization, the NDDC conducted a 5^th year of monthly downtown forums on topic relevant to downtown, coordinated Block Head Gatherings for two-way communication with stakeholders, and collected information for a retail referral index.

• In the area of design, the NDDC assisted the City in the installation of new bike racks, benches, planters and way-finding signage, coordinated the annual downtown lightpole banner program with the City and re-launched collaborative discussions of long-term parking solutions for existing and growing needs.

• In the area of Economic Restructuring, the NDDC advocated for policy that resulted in the drafting of new legislation by the State Legislature to address ever-rising commercial property taxes in historic downtowns, successfully advocated for the creation of a Building Code Board of Appeals and conducted Board of Director visits to downtown businesses.

Downtown serves as social, cultural and economic engine for the community. The original asset of Northfield was the Cannon River, but today, the downtown district is the fulcrum from which business retention, recruitment and entrepreneurship are leveraged.

Downtown is not an island, however. There must be synergies between our historic central business district, the nearby highway commercial district, our major employers to the north and west, and the potential sites for future development, if the community is to maximize its economic potential.

Partnerships and collaborations are the key to achieving these synergies. Whether in longer-term programs or immediate projects, strong relationships, which take advantage of distinctive skills and experiences, build the connections that continually and consistently create the synergy necessary for Northfield to reach its economic potential.

The NDDC has a tradition of working in collaboratively in partnerships with other groups. From the very earliest years, the organization has pursued shared visions and goals working with these other groups.

• The NDDC has partnered with the Northfield Arts Guild on ArtSwirl, cross-promoted events with the Northfield Historical Society, and pursued a Retail Support Strategies Plan with the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) at the request of the Northfield Economic Development Authority (EDA).

• In recent months, the NDDC has supported promotions initiated by private businesses, worked in collaboration with the Northfield Enterprise Center (NEC) on retaining, expanding and recruiting downtown businesses, and helped launch the First Annual JuneBug Music Festival.

• Current projects include coordinated advertising with the Chamber, Economic Development Authority and the NEC, a media “how-to” guide with the NEC, and a Welcome to Downtown for new and returning students with Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges.

A strategy of comprehensive, consistent and collaborative tactics offer great potential benefits for the whole community. In these times of increased competition and greater challenges, such an approach is essential. The NDDC is committed to this strategy in all of its current and future activities.

Those colorful banners have appeared again. The 5th Annual ArtSwirl, a celebration of art and artists in Northfield, begins next week. This year’s festival features even more events and activities, focused primarily in our historic downtown and concentrated in one very long weekend. The briefest of summaries appears below:

Tuesday, August 5th

8 am - NDDC Forum: Arts and Economic Development Policy Platform - Archer House

Wednesday, August 6th

12:15 pm - Noontime Organ Recital - Skinner Memorial Chapel, Carleton College

7 pm - Books & Stars - Northfield Public Pool

7:30 pm - Summer Sonnets Writers’ Night - Central Park

Thursday, August 7th

12 pm - Japanese Garden Tour - Behind Watson Hall, Carleton College

5-7:30 pm - Chainsaw Sculpture Demonstration - Bridge Square

6-8 pm - ArtSwirl Kick-off - Bridge Square - featuring breakdancing performance, “Edible Art Walk,” and arts & crafts activities for kids

7 pm - Theater in the Park: The Merry Wives of Windsor - Central Park

7:30 pm - Bridge Chamber Music Festival Concert - Urness Hall, St. Olaf College

7:30-9:30 pm - Street Dance Featuring Popular Polka Band, DyVersaCo - Bridge Square

9 pm - Local Music Live in the Pubs

Friday, August 8th

12:15 pm - Noontime Organ Recital - Northfield Methodist Church

6 pm - Northfield Arts Guild Ballet - Pedestrian Bridge over the Cannon River

5-9 pm - Chainsaw Sculpture Demonstration - Bridge Square

7 pm - Theater in the Park: The Merry Wives of Windsor - Central Park

7:30 pm - Storytelling: Real Lives Aloud - Northfield Arts Guild Theater

8 pm - Belly-Dancing Performance by Inara - Chapati

8 pm - Meredith Fierke CD Release - Grand Event Center

9 pm - Local Music Live in the Pubs

Saturday, August 9th

10 am-9 pm - Chainsaw Sculpture Demonstration - Bridge Square

12-6 pm - Artists’ Market - Bridge Square

12-9 pm - Performing Arts on the Showmobile Stage - Bridge Square

6-9 pm - Downtown Gallery and Studio Crawl - Downtown Northfield

7 pm - Theater in the Park: The Merry Wives of Windsor - Central Park

9 pm - Local Music Live in the Pubs

Sunday, August 10th

12-5 pm - Greater Northfield Studio Tour - Surrounding Communities

2 pm - Bridge Chamber Music Festival - Studio A, St. Olaf College

6 pm - Politics and a Pint - a lively discussion of the arts in Northfield - Contented Cow

As you can see, there’s a lot to choose from in this festival. So come on down(town) and all around Northfield and enjoy ArtSwirl.

The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) has been hearing about rising commercial property taxes for several years. Building owners have detailed the increases they’ve received and the economic challenges that these increases have produced. The NDDC took action.

The NDDC spent time reviewing these increases and analyzing their causes and effects. We identified three key issues in the property tax challenge:

1. A disincentive to invest in older commercial buildings
2. A disconnect between property taxes and building income
3. A growing inequity between the commercial and residential sectors

Former State Senator Tom Neuville proposed legislation to address the first issue. It’s called “This Old Building” and protects the property owner from being taxed on any increase in value resulting from investment in the building for a five-year period.

Through an introduction provided by State Representative David Bly, we met State Representative Paul Marquart, Chair of the Property Tax Relief and Local Sales Tax Division Committee. Representative Marquart has proposed legislation to address the second issue. We’re calling it “This Old District”, at least for now. It identifies special Districts of older commercial buildings and exempts those buildings from the statewide C/I property tax.

After working quite hard on this issue for several years, and seeing limited results, this latest step appears to be real and substantive progress. This proposed legislation can provide meaningful relief to older commercial districts throughout Greater Minnesota.

We are pleased to be making steady progress on the property tax challenge, with potential legislation to address the first two issues. The NDDC will continue to work with state legislators to try to find policy recommendations that will result in potential legislation to address the third issue in the property tax challenge.

Eight years of double-digit property tax increases has put our older commercial districts at extreme economic risk. By systematically addressing all of the related issues, we can find a comprehensive solution.