Newberry CRA May Hire Economic Development Firm

NEWBERRY ‒ Following the May 28, 2024, Newberry City Commission meeting, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board convened briefly to hear an educational presentation by CRA Executive Director Bryan Thomas. The focus was on the collaboration with Downtown Strategies, a firm specializing in revitalizing small to mid-sized cities that function independently of larger metropolitan areas.

“Downtown Strategies is a group that collaborates with small towns to mid-sized cities up to 250,000 people that are generally independent of larger metropolitan areas,” said Thomas. He emphasized that these communities’ downtown areas serve as primary social and economic hubs.

Asset-Based Strategies for Growth

Thomas highlighted the group’s approach, which revolves around asset-based strategies. This method focuses on enhancing and combining existing community resources such as infrastructure, institutions, local businesses, and resident skills. The underlying principle is that most economic growth in these communities stems from within, through the expansion of existing businesses and the creation of new local ventures.

Communities leverage the influence of major local institutions, known as anchors, to drive economic growth and revitalize downtown areas. These strategies, typically employed in larger metropolitan settings, are adapted to fit the unique needs of smaller communities, capitalizing on the stability and growth provided by these key institutions.

Steps Toward a Strategic Plan

Downtown Strategies is collaborating with local staff to develop an actionable strategic plan for the CRA downtown district. The following steps outline the process:

Development of a “Core Team”

This team will consist of three to five representatives from City staff, downtown merchants, the Newberry Main Street Organization, and the Newberry Chamber of Commerce.

Site Visit by Downtown Strategies

On July 17, the Consultant will meet with core team members and conduct a walking tour of the downtown study area to identify assets and future opportunities.

Strategic Visioning Workshop

Following the walking tour, a workshop will be conducted to focus on downtown redevelopment. The workshop aims to gather input from a wide range of stakeholders, including elected officials, CRA Board members, property and business owners, downtown organizations, and interested citizens. The goal is to gather input and generate buy-in from downtown constituents and the broader community.

“This is not a group that believes in developing a 20-year plan that sits on the shelf,” said Thomas. They are into implementing a plan as soon as possible.

Partnership Timeline

The partnership timeline with Downtown Strategies is structured into three phases:

Discovery (Months 1-6): This phase includes market analysis research, a community input survey, onboarding packet review, and the strategic visioning workshop.

Strategic Action Plan (Months 7-9): In this phase, the market analysis is presented, and the strategic action plan is developed and reviewed by the client.

Implementation (Months 10-12): This final phase involves the formation of local action teams, a project mapping workshop, and continued technical support to the Core Team.

Although no action regarding moving forward with Downtown Strategies was discussed during this meeting, Thomas reminded Board members about the upcoming July 17 walking tour and mentioned that more information about the project would be forthcoming.

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