Central Wastes More Money for More Studies

The city of Central, Louisiana has engaged Downtown Strategies, a division of Retail Strategies, as its downtown revitalization partner. Downtown Strategies will perform a Strategic Visioning Workshop with downtown stakeholders and create a strategic plan on behalf of the community. This partnership also includes a market analysis for the community.
“Downtown Strategies has a lot of offerings in their wheelhouse that complement our city’s goals for development,” said Mayor David Barrow. “We believe that this partnership will introduce tailored solutions to create and develop a downtown for Central. Our city is excited to be partnering with Downtown Strategies and to receive insights and recommendations they create.”
“Our team at Downtown Strategies understands the importance of a strong downtown presence in a community,” said Jenn Gregory, president of Downtown Strategies. “Central is taking a motivated approach to ensuring their community continues to see progress. Downtown Strategies is pleased to be partnering with city leadership to seek out creative solutions and assist in development.”
The Retail Strategies team will host an in-market workshop with business owners, merchants, community leaders, and elected officials to gain feedback and allow dialogue for development ideas. The team will also execute a market and real estate analysis taking a deeper dive into Central. A customized five-year Strategic Plan will be developed with specific strategies focused on policy, design, tourism, and economic catalyst opportunities for the area.
“Central, Louisiana is an exciting partnership for us with a lot of potential,” said Sarah Beth Thornton, vice president of business development at Retail Strategies. “Our team will work with Central to better understand the community’s needs and the city leader’s vision to create a vibrant gathering place. We are excited to be partnering with Central and we look forward to progressing our relationship.”