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The Need to Redefine <br /> To evaluate the need for redevelopment, the Task Force • New residential <br /> completed a series of exercises and small group discussions. ❖ Accessibility <br /> o Pedestrians <br /> Characteristics of"Downtown" Exercise o Traffic flow/access points <br /> The first exercise asked Task Force members to define the o River <br /> History <br /> "Components of a successful downtown" and describe"What Activities/amenities <br /> downtown means". Their responses included the following in no Aesthetically pleasing <br /> particular order: ;• <br /> Balance of old and new <br /> What makes a downtown successful? Charm,pleasant feel <br /> ❖ Brick and south Main Blocks <br /> ❖ "Heart"or center <br /> ❖ Nostalgia What should downtown have that it doesn't <br /> ❖ Authenticity <br /> ❖ Unique/traditional(sets us apart from suburban + Embellishments (flags,plantings,color) <br /> Specialty businesses <br /> development) <br /> Signage <br /> ❖ Past,present and future planning • Directional <br /> ❖ Shopping/eating <br /> • Informative <br /> Why do you come downtown? Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Exercise <br /> ❖ Diversity of activity <br /> Destination The second exercise involved a discussion of Strengths, <br /> ❖ Tradition Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, a summary of which is <br /> ❖ Special events/ entertainment provided in the Appendix. <br /> How do you know when you are downtown? It was a result of this exercise in which the Task Force reached <br /> ❖ Mass of historic buildings consensus that"Downtown Elk River" has already changed,as a <br /> ❖ Signage result of time and market, to a point where it is no longer the <br /> thriving commercial center it was 50 years prior. Further, <br /> What does downtown mean to you? consensus was that"Downtown Elk River" needs to reinvent <br /> ❖ Vitality itself as the historical, cultural, and energetic core of community. <br /> • Interest,not necessity With the core established and strengthened, the service and office <br /> ❖ Commercial,retail and service uses will reemerge in the area, even when changes to Highway 10 <br /> ❖ Connectivity,transition,cohesive <br /> require more destination driven trips. <br /> Draft as of November 5, 2012 -Part I,page 18 - <br />