Crossville and Sparta are soon to begin working with a consulting company called Downtown Strategies to form five-year action plans to help their downtown business owners.
Both cities were awarded the opportunity after receiving funding through the USDA Rural Business Development Grant. Downtown Strategies President Jenn Gregory said the communities can expect project-specific strategies, such as public art, to uplift the downtown environment as part of these plans.
“Adding vitality to the sidewalks and the streetscapes of both of the downtowns,” Gregory said. “We will also be working with the cities on potential policies that could be implemented to lay a better foundation for better business development downtown.”
Gregory said both cities will host stakeholder input sessions later this month where the public can provide feedback on the action plans. Gregory said the public’s input is critical, as they are the primary consumers for the downtown businesses.
“We invite business owners, property owners, or just interested and concerned citizens to come and really want to understand what the community wants to see downtown,” Gregory said. “What types of businesses do they want? And then, really more importantly, what do they wish they could do downtown that they can’t do now? Downtowns are not just about businesses. Certainly, that’s a big piece that attracts people downtown.”
Gregory said small businesses will be able to access a training platform that allows them to elevate their operation and learn more about things like AI, cybersecurity, and digital marketing. Gregory said learning these strategies is crucial for small businesses, as the consumer has changed drastically since the covid pandemic, with more consumers buying items online from major distributors. Gregory said 78 percent of consumers still prefer to shop in a brick-and-mortar store, but they expect convenience and a unique experience.
“Improve what we call omni-channeling, which means that their business doesn’t just exist in the brick and mortar, but it also exists online,” Gregory said. “You know, small businesses don’t have to compete with Amazon necessarily because they offer a true retail experience, but we have to make it convenient for consumers, and that means letting consumers check out inventory online via social media or e-commerce sites and really meeting consumers where they are.”
Gregory said empty storefronts are a challenge that plagues many rural areas across the country. Gregory said empty storefronts send an unpleasant message to the community.
“First, it sends a message of blight, even if that’s not necessarily the case,” Gregory said. “Even if the downtown is vibrant and there are events and cool things happening, if there are multiple storefronts that are either underutilized or truly vacant, it just sends a message to the community that there’s nothing happening downtown and that businesses can’t be successful there, whether or not that’s true.”
Gregory said local cities can also learn how they can incentivize businesses to come into their downtown area. Gregory said cities often put plans together to encourage business development, but often they are not acted on. Gregory said the difference between Crossville and Sparta’s plans and other plans is that they will actually take action.
Crossville’s public stakeholder meeting will be held on March 18 at City Hall. The meeting begins at 6pm. The Sparta meeting takes place on March 19 at the Oldham Theater, starting at 12pm.