November 2, 2020 | UrbanMain Partners with the Works, Inc. and the City of Memphis on Retail Study of South Memphis |
Community members gather for a bike ride through South Memphis. Credit: The Works, Inc.
UrbanMain, a program of the National Main Street Center, has partnered with The City of Memphis Office of Comprehensive Planning (OCP) and The Works, Inc. on a retail analysis for the South Memphis Area. UrbanMain will develop strategies to revitalize and strengthen the Four Way Business Improvement District and Bellevue Retail Corridor over the next several years.
The Memphis project is an initiative of The Work's Inc., which will utilize the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan as a tool to initiate an economic redevelopment strategy in neighborhood retail corridors in South Memphis. In collaboration with the 3.0 Plan office, UrbanMain’s study will support the Small Area Planning Process for South Memphis Anchors.
UrbanMain will use the Main Street Approach™, a time-tested framework for community-driven, comprehensive commercial district revitalization, to determine the economic viability of retail uses around South Memphis Anchors. The project kicked off with a workshop on the Main Street Approach—one of four workshops that will introduce participants to UrbanMain’s framework for downtown transformation. In the coming months, UrbanMain will also host a training to help Board members learn about their responsibilities for the commercial revitalization process, including personnel, oversight, and leadership.
UrbanMain is in the beginning stages of it retail study, which will describe the products and services the district is in the best position to offer targeted customers; provide an analysis of the potential for growth in the retail, office, entertainment, and housing sectors; and offer insight into the kind of capital and physical improvements necessary to set the stage for successful business enterprise. Each strategy will target either a specific customer group and/or business niche that provides a distinct competitive advantage for the selected commercial district.
UrbanMain will also provide comprehensive recommendations for action, including partnership opportunities, niche promotion and marketing activities, key design enhancements and projects, private or public, commercial or residential, which could potentially catalyze other economic development investment.
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