With Christiansburg Town Council's decision to keep 6.15% of a 7% lodging tax, while only dedicating .15% of 1% for tourism development specific to the town, an opportunity is being presented.
In focusing on the town as a destination of choice within the region and state, other economic development potentials should be realized, too. Especially since council's Central Business District committee is now charged with matters of critical importance to the development and vitality of (all) the Town’s commercial districts.
Since the town is already a member of the New River Valley Planning District Commission (NRV PDC) and Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, here's a few suggestions for spending some of the approximate $20,000 it will be retaining for marketing:
Reestablish a council liaison to the chamber's leadership team. Barring this, at least have a member regularly attend chamber meetings or functions who reports back to the full council on local business issues and initiatives. Minimal, if any, additional monetary cost.
Queue up in the NRV PDC
HOME Consortium funding process, of which
Christiansburg is already a member and funding source through
CDBG monies. Comprised of the counties of Montgomery, Floyd, Giles, Pulaski, the City of Radford, and the Towns of Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Pulaski, Pearisburg, and Glen Lyn, these pooled funds provide for home rehabilitation, new construction of single family or multi-family homes, acquisition of property, demolition of substandard housing, architectural fees, feasibility studies, homebuyer’s counseling, and other finance-related project costs. Limited financial commitment since Blacksburg provides administrative services for all partners.
Participation in the HOME Consortium is aligned with goals of the town's Comp Plan as regards "
encouraging" residential uses within and around the downtown , and the
historic district overlay review assigned to Planning Commission last March. We've also recently heard "
affordable housing" is a goal of town leaders.
Join the
Virginia Downtown Development Association, an organization that advocates, supports, and promotes leadership in downtown development throughout the Commonwealth. Participants include economic development professionals, appointed and elected city and county officials, downtown development directors, planners, architects, business owners, and others who are stakeholders in maintaining Virginia's vibrant downtowns. Cost: $125 annually.
Utilize the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development resources, including the
Virginia Main Street Assistance program. Cost: many resources are free to local government entities; other tools have material costs ranging from a few dollars to less than $500.
Tap into the
Virginia Tourism Corporation's "dashboard" of trends, statistics and package deals and other marketing expertise. Costs vary on what services or advertising packages are chosen.
Identify regional and local media outlets and plan placement of Christiansburg specific advertising to "brand" the town as a destination, listing attributes that include more than the town's recreation facilities or the mall area.
Purchase
signage to mark the "Antiques Corridor" and "Wilderness Road" designations council passed resolutions of support for in
December 2007. Link to advertising or promotions placed on Virginia is for Lovers and Virginia Tourism Corporation websites, and local/regional advertising.
Require town departments continue to cover all advertising costs from within their allocated budgets, as done prior to retaining additional lodging tax revenues.
Review town's Comprehensive Plan,
aligning with materials provided by the chamber including a
Tourism Research and Strategic Plan and "
7 Immutable Rules for Successful Tourism". This includes the creation of attractive gateways and wayfinding signs, clearly marked necessities (public facilities and parking), information kiosks, perpendicular signage, and having a critical mass in a pedestrian setting. A concentrated mix of business should include a 3-block long, 3-block wide district that provides a minimum of 10+10+10; or ten retail options, 10 dining or specialty food establishments, and 10 businesses that are open after 6 pm.
This presents numerous easy options -- low hanging fruit -- for the town to leverage existing business and attributes using the additional $20,000 -- but it still requires a plan that doesn't yet exist, or executing the present one which has been collecting dust for over a decade. The key is expanding and growing the town's tax base, and when existing business become stronger this can attract even more customers, visitors and entrepreneurs.
Any journey begins with the first steps; the destination will only remain a goal without a roadmap and effort. To inject a little humor into the subject, read another NRV blog on other local economic development efforts gone awry.