COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY: Business Activation and Development

GOAL: Optimize Redevelopment of Underutilized Buildings and Vacant Land by Promoting and Expanding Business Development and Incentives (2 Dots)

Measurable Outcomes

We would like to XXXX the XXXX by XXXX before XXXX.

Increase visitors to Downtown Griffin’s website by 100% by December 2024.

Measurable Outcomes

• Grants o Periodic assessments of grant applications o Increase number of grants provided by downtown committees by 24 by 2026 o Establish quantity of available downtown vacant property and underutilized buildings.

• Property Development o Start development of 3 vacant properties by 2026 o Completion of 6 downtown projects by 2026 o Optimize redevelopment land and buildings measurable by interest from owners to meet with city to discuss potential o Track number of permits pulled o Number of completed projects in 3 years o Established vacant properties and underutilized buildings and decrease by x or x percentage by x o Number of vacancies o Change in vacancies permits issued certificates of occupancy issued

• Diversification of Business o I would like to see more businesses o Different types of businesses

Critical Success Factors

• Viable potential uses

• Vision for building uses

• Vision for best use of vacant land for long term sustainability

• Determine funding options

• Funding at the state and local level

Barriers

• Absent property owners

• Property owners have a lack of willingness to fix this issue

• Funding

• Property owners

• Zoning

• Follow through

• Too expensive

ACTIONS

• Aggressively pursue potential investment

Priority Action

1 Create website for Downtown Griffin

2 Revise and streamline the façade grant application process

Steps

Work with Danielle to create website and populate with information

Increase opportunities to submit and review façade grant applications throughout the year

• Public private partnerships

• Buy-In from the Property owner(s)

• Coincide with downtown redevelopment plan

• Lack of motivational program

• Unreasonable owners

• Lack of capital

• Formatting

• Laws

• Vision

• Too many hoops

& Jeremy

& Danielle

ED Committee

ADDITIONAL BRAINSTORMING/IDEAS

(other options: Revitalize Our Downtown)

• Design and develop

• Dining Experience o Expand outside dining o Fill all downtown buildings with quality products services dining and entertainment

• Building/Property Ownership o Increase percentage of buildings owned by their occupants o Optimize opportunities for all property owners o Relocate the post office o Connect Mason Street to Thomaston Mills mixed-use project

• Aesthetics o Restore and maintain historic downtown buildings o Wouldn't it be great if we could do something about unappealing buildings o Make Griffin more aesthetically pleasing

• Revitalized underutilized spaces in downtown o Facade building improvements o Revitalized and renovate downtown building o Reduce vacant blighted buildings

• Public & Private Investment o Optimize private redevelopment/investment o Griffin needs one major investment hotel or mixed-use o Establish a hotel/conference center o Identify properties that can be used to create a town square concept o Develop and utilize a set of potential tools that help make developer projects cash flow and work o Convince people to improve their properties o Wouldn't it be great if we constructed an amphitheater o Facilitate quality downtown housing create a mixed-use development o Contact and find potential investors o Acquisition of underutilized buildings to stabilize and sell o Building maintenance o Invest in “active” infrastructure

• HPC compliance