Why Downtown is Important

Downtown is Important for Local Quality of Life

Downtown's health is a symbol of:

• community economic health,
• the private/public economic development partnership,
• local quality of life, local pride and community history and identity

Downtown is the heart of the community for

• government,
• culture and
• churches. 

Downtown is an important community gathering place for all residents.

Downtown Supports Local Small Business

• a good incubator for new small businesses - the success of tomorrow.  Strip centers and malls are often too expensive for new entrepreneurs.
• businesses (mostly located downtown) support a local family (who support local schools, etc.)
• business keep profits in town,
  
• businesses support local community projects.

Downtown is Important for Local Economic Development

• a major employer.
  
• provides a shopping alternative to national chains.
• is important for industrial recruitment, because developers use downtown's heart as a gauge of local quality of life.
• provides a return on investment to taxpayers through taxes.
• rehabilitation of older downtown buildings supports local jobs.  In new commercial constructions the materials and labor often come from out of town.