IMPORTANCE OF DOWNTOWN BUSINESS WINDOWS / STORE FRONTS (Part 2)

Another aspect of downtown window display involves their use as "3-D billboards".  Many downtown building owners have allowed outside businesses to use their store front windows to advertise goods and services outside of downtown or even in another community.  This allows outside businesses to advertise their goods and services and gives the building owner the ability to highlight their location in the best possible light.  It is a win / win arrangement that seems to be gaining traction within various communities.  Here are  images from Oregon, Illinois where a local business (not located in downtown) advertises their goods in a vacant building at the community's highest traffic intersection:  The display has since expanded to an adjoining storefront (though I haven't had opportunity to add this display as of yet...)

IMPORTANCE OF DOWNTOWN BUSINESS WINDOWS / STORE FRONTS

Sites on the internet that may be helpful to grasp this concept:

Youtube:  “ Insights into a Lively Downtown (Urban Planning, Ann Arbor, Michigan) HQ version”    (storefronts addressed at 9:36)

Best window Displays     http://thebwd.com/ 

FACEBOOK PAGE    “Bridge of Art”   DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE BUSINESSES OUT THERE THAT SPECIALIZE IN DRESSING UP STOREFRONTS?  VISIT THEIR WEBSITE FOR INSPIRATION

“WindoW display ideas” on pinterest

Ask businesses owners or building owners to take pride in the appearance of their store fronts

Take steps to address vacant store fronts to make them inviting and interesting.  Talk with property owners to see if they would be willing to do “something creative” in their windows (recruit local artists to help).  This will only help property owners with their efforts in attracting a tenant.

Make full use of your business store fronts as a showcase for the business.  There is a reason that stores inside shopping malls have large glass windows; you want to catch the shopper’s interest, make then wants to stop, look and hopefully get them inside.

ENCOURAGE PROPERTY OWNERS TO DO MORE THAN PUT A STORE BOUGHT "FOR RENT / FOR SALE" SIGN IN THEIR WINDOW.  It’s boring and gives the appearance of giving up).

   

·         Hype the reasons WHY a business should locate in your community.

·         

      Give average daily traffic counts for the location  (available on any state’s department of transportation website)

·        

      Provide the number of people living within so many miles of the property (also available online)

·        

      Pull together the relevant demographics.  The internet makes this much easier than you may think.

      

       Every vacant building in your downtown should have a sign saying WHY this is a great place to start a business

OK, NOW YOU’VE TAKEN THE INTIAL STEPS TO BECOME BUSINESS FRIENDLY…WHAT CAN THE BUSINESSES DO TO HELP THEIR OWN SITUATION?

The first step should be to organize!  City Hall, local businesses, downtown property owners and the public should come together to identify the issues and work on solutions.  The last thing most people want is another committee to join, however if there is a commitment to meet at a certain time, end at a specific time and stick to the topics at hand…the pool of willing participants will be there.

Strive to make your downtown look like something out of the ordinary is going on…this applies to all visual aspects of downtown.  Everything should be up for discussion and consideration:

What will it hurt to ask property owners to keep up their buildings?

Remove weeds between sidewalk and the building

Keep the area in front of a building clear of debris / garbage

Wash store front windows

Encourage painting and other visual improvements

Encourage property owners to utilize their store front windows or allow local artists to do so (more about this later)

WHAT’S UP WITH YOUR SIGN ORDINANCE?
One of the bigger areas of dispute between businesses and their local government involves the topic of signs.  While some communities are in a position to dictate the terms for business signage, many communities are unnecessarily  rigid.  Most communities should ask themselves:


• Is the commercial sign ordinance business friendly?

• Is the community at least open to considering non-traditional types of signs?  Creativity should be encourage, not squashed.

• Is the cost of a sign permit reasonable?

• Are signs over the sidewalk allowed; why not.  As long as the sign is secure why worry about  which direction it is installed (flat against the building or over the sidewalk)?

• Does the community allow the use of neon…why not?

• Cities need to consider easing sign regulations that are unreasonable.  Unless cities have a compelling reason to be restrictive; it should be a partner to the downtown business community; not   an obstacle.

  

The second move also BELONGS TO THE city:   Is your city government business friendly or at least business cooperative?

How hard is it for a business to set up operations in your community? How many permits, how many meetings and how much time is actually involved?

Are costs for opening and operating a business reasonable?

Are liquor licenses reasonably priced and granted by following a clear, reasonable and consistent process?

Are your downtown parking regulations responsible and rational?  

If no one is coming to your downtown, why are you putting time limits on parking?  Do not make it unnecessarily difficult for a business to attract and keep customers. 

If a business wants to have tables outside on the sidewalk would the city allow it?  Why not?

Does your community allow businesses to put objects (items for sale, artwork, items designed to attract the attention of potential shoppers) on the sidewalk during operating hours?   Why not?

 

THE FIRST MOVE BELONGS TO THE CITY:

If the city government isn’t serious about making its downtown a better place, the residents and local business community will likely not be receptive to what is being  proposed.   Let’s begin by covering what the city government needs to do to get the process started…

Get the local media involved.  They’re community based, they can help spread the word on what the city proposes and they need news to publish.  Once the city has announced its intentions, the effort undertaken should cover every possible issue that needs to be addressed.

Clean and repair city property (streets, sidewalks, curbs, etc.)  

Remove weeds / vegetation from the sidewalks, next to buildings, in the curb and in the street.  Nothing says “death” in a downtown like weeds growing through the streets.

If downtown has trash receptacles; is the trash picked up? Is the overall area cleaned on a consistent basis?   Consider using 4-H clubs, Boy Scouts, Lions Club, Rotary, Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce or other civic groups to do a major clean-up day. Work with these groups to take part in a plan for ongoing upkeep.

If the budget allows; patch pot holes, replace or repair compromised sidewalks / crosswalks.  This is an appearance issue as well as an insurance consideration.  

        

Paint curbs where parking is not allowed

Are street lights working?  If you aren’t going to fix them - remove them!

Are alleys properly signed for traffic direction?

Paint fire hydrants and other city owned property visible to the public.

Are all traffic signs in place and good repair?   Ask for hand me down signs from other governments if you need to. Besides being annoying, unreadable signs are an insurance risk for your community.

Are there confusing or conflicting traffic signs that make no sense and should be removed?

Remove broken public fixtures like planters and garbage cans...better yet fix or replace them if the city can afford to do so.

It wouldn’t hurt to have your city’s insurance agent walk through the downtown to identify any risks you may have overlooked. While sometimes annoying, your insurance agent is a great source of "outside eyes" for your community.

Now that you THINK you have the city’s issues under control; find people from outside the community to look over your downtown to make sure you didn’t miss anything.  Ask individuals from a neighboring community or local community college to walk through downtown and make observations.

Now that downtown has been cleaned up; commit to keeping it that way by having an actual plan and schedule for clean up and periodic inspection for repair issues.   

THE PURPOSE OF THIS BLOG...

If you visit other communities’ downtowns and are challenged or inspired to want to improve your community’s downtown, this blog will probably resonate with you.  The topics to be addressed here may or may not work in your community.  The blog is merely here to forward concepts and highlight programs that have come to my attention.

This site is geared primarily toward communities that cannot afford to have a “Main Street” program and may not currently have an organization to “lead the charge” in promoting downtown.    Every community has its own set of circumstances, but continuing to pursue a course of action that has not worked in the past is not a particularly brilliant plan for the future. 

This blog is simply an attempt to motivate interested communities to try other approaches.   This blog is the  product of 30 years of full time service within local government in Illinois.  Take it or leave it as you see fit.  

I’m always interested in talking with community leaders if they have any questions about what is being advocated here or have other downtown related topics they would like to discuss with me.