Consultants helping Downtown Partners decide on district plan
By Drew Terry, Northwest Arkansas Times, April 15, 2005
Fayetteville Downtown Partners is hosting a consultant this week to study the feasibility of a business improvement district for downtown.
Steve Gibson, president of Urban Place Consulting Group in Long Beach, Calif., and project manager Jessica Whaley arrived Wednesday in Northwest Arkansas and will remain through Saturday.
They plan to meet with several downtown stakeholders (property and business owners, city officials and others) before returning to California and deciphering the accumulated data.
“One of the things we’re beginning to sense is there really seems to be a strong interest in downtown and a strong momentum, and that it already is a good place,” Gibson said Thursday.
“There’s a good community momentum to strengthen it and to bring more uses and more activities.”
As of Thursday afternoon, Gibson and Whaley had met with the Advertising and Promotion Commission, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council in addition to several other entities.
Their schedule today includes the Fayetteville Police Department and the mayor’s office.
Through the interviews, Gibson hopes to discover the perceived needs in downtown Fayetteville and determine whether a business improvement district, if implemented, could fill those demands.
Downtown Partners Board President Sharon Hoover appreciated the perspective Gibson and Whaley gave to the organization’s goals.
“It’s real interesting because we’re getting feedback on what other organizations and downtowns are doing across the country,” Hoover said. “There are ways of doing things that I wouldn’t have guessed.”
Whaley joined Urban Place Consulting Group a few weeks ago.
She formerly worked with the Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia, an experience that could benefit Downtown Partners’ goal of establishing a cultural arts district.
“She’ll be a tremendous resource along with folks like the Walton Arts Center, the (Fayetteville Public) Library and all the artists in the community,” said Daniel Hintz, Downtown Partners interim administrator. “It’s just one more tool to move this identity forward.”
Gibson should return to Fayetteville in May to give a report on the findings to the steering committee.
One aspect Gibson has noted thus far is the current prosperity in downtown Fayetteville, a contrast to some other towns in which he has performed consulting duties.
“It’s a good place now; the issue is about reinforcing that and making it into an incredibly great place,” he said.
A PDF of the article is available: NorthWest Arkansas Times Articles – April 15, 2005
