When it comes to revitalizing a community, a thriving downtown is essential for attracting businesses, residents, and visitors.

A great downtown boosts the economy, enhances quality of life, and creates a sense of place. Quint Studer outlines four key ingredients to success: programming, retail and entertainment, office space, and residential development.

Programming

Events and attractions give people a reason to visit, shop, and linger downtown. Communities benefit from regular public events that showcase local businesses and inexpensive ways to drive traffic during off-seasons.

Many of the great events in the rail depot, Mountain State Forest Festival, downtown festivals, and the Christmas events throughout the holiday season are a few examples of how we have been successful in this area. It’s critical that we continue to find new and engaging activities and attractions to keep our citizens coming back downtown and entice new visitors.

Retail and Entertainment

People need places to dine, shop, and relax downtown. Studer encourages clustering complementary businesses — like restaurants, boutiques, and entertainment venues — to maximize foot traffic.

Over the last several years, downtown storefronts have been filled with exciting, new businesses. Trickett’s Hardware and Clementine’s Cantina are two recent examples. It’s imperative that we continue to empower our entrepreneurial citizens to chase their dreams of starting small businesses. New businesses increase the investment we have seen and help create a vibrant and thriving downtown.

Office Space

A thriving downtown isn’t just about nightlife. Offices bring professionals into the area daily, supporting restaurants, coffee shops, and other small businesses.

The Mills Group and Blue Ridge Risk Partners are examples of downtown offices.. We must include businesses that are more office space driven and less consumer driven. This brings a completely different group of people into our beautiful downtown and allows for expanded service from the restaurants and shops.

Residential Development

Having residents downtown creates a built-in customer base for businesses. The Woodlands Development Group has done an excellent job of turning existing properties into downtown housing. There are also second floor apartments over many of the businesses that allow for downtown living. These spaces afford the residents the ability to walk to many of the amenities they enjoy.

Investing in

Downtown Pays Off

Studer stresses the importance of addressing code violations, filling vacant properties, and investing in infrastructure like sidewalks and public spaces. A well-planned downtown becomes a destination, strengthening the entire community.

Downtown Elkins has undergone a transformation over the last 4-5 years and it’s important that we continue. Elkins and Randolph County have so much to offer and as we have visitors pass through our community, we want them to experience an excellent representation of what we offer. If we are successful in this, they likely will become repeat visitors and, in some instances, even permanent residents.

Please join us to hear from Quint Studer at the Elkins Randolph County Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Dinner on Wednesday evening March 12 and at the workshop from 8:30-11 a.m. on March 13. The Chamber office has registration and more information.