Northfield Downtown Development Corporation

The following are the NDDC Priorities for 2008 as approved at the December 27th Board of Directors meeting.

The priorities, like the NDDC’s work since its creation by Jim Braucher, Keith Covey, Brett Reese and Bardwell Smith in 2000, are structured by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Program’s Four Points.

This year, the Board (at Executive Committee Member Keith Covey’s urging) is pushing more of the authority and responsibility out to the committees. In an impressive demonstration of organizing ability, most of the committees have added a number of new members in recent months.

The priorities are outlined below:

Organizing: (Executive and PR/Communications Committees)

1. Continue to hold Monthly Forums, Quarterly Block Head Gatherings, Quarterly Chamber and NDDC Board Meetings, and Annual Mixers; Add Intentional Board Visits to Downtown Businesses
2. Continue to work on Advocacy for the Board of Appeals, the Downtown Library, Keeping the Liquor Store Downtown and Extending the Mill Towns’ Trail
3. Continue to Secure Sufficient Resources for the Organization; Enhance Public Relations Efforts, including Memberships, through Designated Board Committee

Promoting: (Events and Marketing Committee)

1. Continue to Lead or Support Efforts in Advertising, Events, Promotions, the Downtown Directory and Restaurant Guide (Creatively Reconceived and Enhanced by the E and M Committee)
2. Implement Retail Support Strategies Initiatives as Appropriate and/or Selected by the Designated Board Committee
3. Fill Event and/or Promotion Gaps in Annual Calendar as Identified by the RSS Task Force, particularly late January and April

Designing: (Arts, Recreation and Culture Committee)

1. Get Bike Racks Sitting in City Shop Installed, Get 6 Additional Bike Racks Installed; Pursue Newspaper Corrals
2. Investigate, Advocate and Implement Installation of Public Toilets in Downtown as Recommended by RSS Task Force
3. Continue Advocacy on Prioritized Streetscape Issues, Including Expansion and Redevelopment Along the Cannon River

Restructuring: (Expansion and Redevelopment Team)

1. Continue to Work on Commercial Property Tax Issue through Raising Community Awareness, Building Regional Coalition, Achieving Legislative Action; Revisit Downtown Management District and Outside Dining
2. Implement Appropriate and Selected Business Retention, Expansion and Recruitment Actions Items as Selected by Designated Board Committee
3. Advocate for and/or Participate in a High Priority Development Project such as the BCP, the AHR, or the CAC

Over the past 12 months, the NDDC workload has included a variety of activities and initiatives. We have continued the last four years’ intensive focus on the economic vitality of our authentic downtown.

As we have said before, our efforts are structured on the National Trust’s Main Street Program’s Four Points. These are: Organizing, Promoting, Designing, and Restructuring. We’ve reported on our 2007 activities using this same format.

The NDDC’s Organizing efforts included the:

The NDDC’s Promoting efforts included the:

The NDDC’s Designing efforts included the:

The NDDC’s Restructuring efforts include:

The Board of Directors of the NDDC holds an annual planning session. At this session the current year’s priorities are reviewed and the upcoming year’s priorities are established and will continue to reflect the breadth of activities encouraged by the Main Street Program’s Four Points. The NDDC’s priorities for 2008 will be posted on this site in the very near future.

The Board of Directors of the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) is pleased to announce that it has surpassed the goal amount of its 2007 Partnership Campaign, an annual fundraising drive. The final tally was slightly more than $32,000 (in cash receipts), the best result in the organization’s history. “The financial support of Northfield building owners, business owners and citizen donors for the NDDC continues to grow each year and for that we are grateful,” according to Joe Grundhoefer, 2007 Partnership Campaign co-chair and Vice President of the NDDC.

Grundhoefer, owner of J. Grundy’s Rueb’n'Stein, noted that Partnership funds will be used to further the mission of the NDDC, which is modeled after the Four Points of the Main Street Program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Four Points are Organization, Promotion, Design and Economic Restructuring. Organization involves assembling the appropriate resources to maintain a strong downtown program. Promotion encourages consumers and investors to live, work, shop, play and invest in downtown Northfield. Design means working to get downtown Northfield into top physical shape. Economic Restructuring strengthens downtown’s existing economic assets while expanding and diversifying its economic base.

The 2007 NDDC Partnership Campaign was co-chaired by Anastasia Balfany, NDDC board member and owner of The Market, an antiques retailer formally located on Division Street. Anastasia and Joe were assisted in the fundraising by the entire 12-member NDDC Board of Directors.

To learn more about the NDDC, its mission and recent activities, visit nddc.org or call 663-0319.

Here’s a scene that is a favorite for many folks at Crazy Daze, eating a Grundhoefer Burger on Division Street.

Okay, so breakfast and lunch may have passed, there’s still much more to come…

…like the Waiters’ Race along Division Street, Classic Cars “south of 5th” on Division, Pie on the Square by the Northfield News on Bridge Square, a Dance Performance by the Northfield Academy on Bridge Square, ’50s and ’60s Music by KRDS on Division Street between 5th and 6th, and Songs of Hope, co-sponsored by the Northfield Public Schools, the Northfield Rotary Club, and the Northfield News on Bridge Square.

So come on down(town) and catch some of the Crazy Daze fun before it’s “wait ’til next year”.

There’s already a bountiful harvest of locally-grown produce and locally-crafted products at Northfield’s Farmers’ Market. I picked up a half-dozen of different fresh vegetables today and I’m looking forward to enjoying them tonight.

Northfield’s market is open Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:45 am and Saturdays at 9 am. It’s located at Riverside Park (with its always-inviting playground) just off 7th Street.

Some come on down(town) and buy field-fresh food from the farmer that grew it right here in Minnesota’s rich agricultural soil.