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<br />SUMMARY OF RESEARCH AND RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES <br />EDA STRATEGIC PLAN 36 <br />8. DOWNTOWN ELK RIVER <br />Downtown Elk River is a traditional storefront business district that has retained its <br />integrity and architectural character. Building facades have been by and large <br />maintained, and the district has been enhanced by new public space connecting it to the <br />Mississippi riverfront. <br />As an event and civic <br />gathering place it makes <br />a really important <br />contribution to Elk River’s <br />quality of life. As a <br />location for new <br />development, the City’s <br />vision is less clear. <br />There is developer <br />interest in Downtown Elk <br />River, as one of the <br />premier addresses in the <br />City. But there seem to <br />be different views about <br />the desirability and <br />character of additional <br />development downtown. <br />And there are valid <br />concerns about impacts <br />to downtown related to <br />traffic congestion and the <br />availability of parking. <br />The plan for Downtown Elk River is called Mississippi Connections Redevelopment <br />Framework (Mississippi Connections). It was adopted in 2012. Mississippi Connections <br />captures the City's hopes and goals related to the downtown area, and set the stage for <br />some important implementation actions. However, it does not provide guidance for key <br />aspects of downtown Elk River’s future. It doesn’t identify development opportunity <br />sites, or provide the traffic and parking analysis that would address community concerns <br />proactively so as to take the burden of analysis off of individual developers. <br />Our experience has led us to value new development in the areas in and around <br />traditional storefront districts because of the vibrancy they add, the activation of street <br />life, and the economic support they provide to downtown businesses. Perhaps the <br />business district will continue to thrive based primarily on destination customers. But it <br />is an uncertain time for retail businesses and restaurants. And the addition of housing <br />density in walking distance of downtown businesses would add an important additional <br />pedestrian-oriented submarket for local businesses. We believe that additional <br />opportunities for development in and near downtown Elk River exist, and such <br />development would add vibrancy to the downtown area.