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November 19, 2012 - Part IV, page 3 - <br />Task Force Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis <br />STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATS <br /> Neighborhood Schools <br /> River <br /> Businesses that are easily accessible <br /> Nice homes <br /> Churches <br /> Authentic small town character <br />(buildings) <br /> Opportunity for individually <br />owned businesses (affordable and <br />non national chain) <br /> Personal Touch – Everyone knows <br />your name <br /> Nostalgia/sentiment <br /> Identifiable location <br /> Variety of services <br /> Charm/Character (lights, <br />streets, etc.) <br /> Local financial institutions <br />(anchors) <br /> Safe environment <br /> Public gathering places (new <br />park) <br /> Proximity to Otsego retail <br /> Heritage/history <br /> Connectivity (Highway 10, rail <br />road and transportation) <br /> Public facilities in close proximity <br />(City Hall, Library, future YMCA) <br /> Small and limited geographic area <br /> Small critical mass <br /> Limited interest in going <br />Downtown by people <br /> Everyone knows your name <br /> Age of existing real estate <br /> Lack of reinvestment <br /> Highway 10 and railroad divides <br />area and people don’t want to cross <br /> Limited access to River <br /> Parking <br /> No grocery store <br /> Lack of variety in businesses <br /> Not pedestrian friendly (snow <br />issues, biking, etc) <br /> Traffic congestion <br /> Delivery trucks <br /> Lack of fine dining <br /> Lack of benches or places to sit outside <br /> New residents have an unfamiliarity <br />with Downtown <br /> Limited connectivity of north and <br />south areas <br /> Market saturation <br /> New retail and business uses <br /> New customer base <br /> Rehabilitation of existing buildings <br /> More public gathering spaces for social <br />activities <br /> Outdoor dining <br /> Blank slate north of railroad tracks <br /> More riverfront development <br /> More access to River <br /> Tie north and south areas together <br /> More residential development <br /> Moving west of Downtown to develop <br /> Enhance Handke Center <br /> Current redevelopment efforts lend <br />credibility <br /> to outside investors <br /> North Star Rail and depot location <br /> Screen railroad tracks and create buffers <br /> Put in trail system along the River <br /> Promote an authentic Downtown <br /> Incubator businesses <br /> Corridor to cross Highway 10 and railroad <br />tracks <br /> Attract more residents to live Downtown <br /> Competing retail both locally (internal) and from <br />surrounding communities (external) <br /> Lack of commuter rail stop in Downtown <br /> Possible bypass of Highway 10 <br /> Continued expansion of Otsego/Highway 101 <br />area <br /> Traffic issues (congestion, increased traffic, <br />crossing Highway 10, etc) <br /> Value of housing stock going down <br /> Land speculators (buying homes and renting them <br />until they can put together large enough parcel to <br />develop on) <br /> Economic fluctuations in general <br /> Noise (Highway 10 and railroad) <br /> Not leasing out existing retail in new redevelopment <br />projects <br /> Land locked for River access/trail <br /> Market saturation <br /> Raising rents for existing businesses <br /> Through traffic <br /> Increasing land acquisition costs <br /> Changes in eminent domain laws <br /> Fear of change <br /> Lifestyle to support Downtown (convenience, price <br />vs. nostalgia, lack of interest and lack of <br />wanted/needed services) <br /> Cost to upkeep aging real estate <br /> Interest in viable business that wants to expand (no <br />are to expand to Downtown or viability is no longer <br />there since interest has moved elsewhere in the <br />community)