The Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District is holding their annual meeting Downtown this afternoon and also using the occasion as an opportunity to unveil their new Downtown retail incentive program. Kacey Campbell will be taking on the new full time role of Retail Recruiter after working as Marketing and Promotions Coordinator for the past 3 1/2 years with Capital Crossroads. The new “matchmaker” role will have her exclusively focusing on retail outreach, building relationships between retail and landlord partners, and assisting with the entire process of setting up new retail businesses Downtown.
“It’s high time to refocus on downtown retail,” said Boyce Safford, the Director of Economic Development for the City of Columbus, in a press release issued earlier today. “The success of our core business district, especially at the street level, will help determine the overall health and vibrancy for the entire region. If you ever wanted to start or expand your business, we ask that you consider downtown first.”
The new program will have both physical and goal-oriented boundaries that overlap with the area designated as the “Mile on High” zone, which focuses on the Downtown area contained by Spring to the north, Mound to the south, Fourth to the east and Front to the west. That program will continue to focus on job creation incentives, facade improvement grants and abatements for property owners and retailers making investments in the area.
“In the sequence of our work at Capital Crossroads, it is the perfect time for us to embrace the retail initiative,” said Cleve Ricksecker, Executive Director of Capital Crossroads, in a press release issued earlier today. “We’ve spent 7 years building a strong foundation of programs that support beautification, safety, communication and community, all of which are running smoothly and will support the pitch for new retailers to open downtown.”
More information about the new program will be available online soon at DowntownColumbus.com.