Downtown is important for our local quality of life.
Downtown's health is a symbol of:
community economic health
the private/public economic development partnership
local quality of life
local pride, and
community history and identity.
Downtown is the heart of the community for government, culture and churches.
Downtown is an important community gathering place for all residents. Shopping malls which are private, can and do restrict free speech and use by certain groups.
The health of downtown impacts surrounding residential neighborhoods.
Downtown supports small business.
Downtown is a good incubator for new small businesses, the successes of tomorrow.
Strips and malls are often too expensive for new entrepreneurs.
Independent businesses (mostly located downtown) support a local family (who support local schools, etc.).
Independent businesses keep profits in town. Chains on the strip and in the mall send profits out of town.
Local independent businesses support local community projects.
Downtown is important for local economic development.
Downtown is a major employer.
A strong downtown helps reduce sprawl.
Downtown provides a shopping alternative to national chains.
Downtown is important for industrial recruitment, because developers use downtown's health as a gauge of local quality-of-life.
Downtown provides a return on investment to taxpayers through taxes.
The rehabilitation of older downtown buildings supports local jobs. In new commercial construction the materials and labor come from out of town.
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