continued from page 50 of ourselves as a new community. We don’t feel quite so small and off the map. That community shift in thinking is super important. It’s a huge priority for our community to build off of this.” In addition to the many restaurants and nightclubs, the new Johnny Gibson Downtown Market ends downtown’s status as a food wasteland. Tucson also offers affordable living in and near downtown, which is precisely where the millennials want to be. Employers are following millennials
“You don’t have to be totally separated from where the action is,” said Emily Yetman, executive director of the Living Streets Alliance and an Arizona native. “If you look at trends in other cities that are doing well, employers are following millennials. Cities are picking up on that and making a huge commitment to boosting the bicycle infrastructure and walkability.” Yetman sees the central core of Tucson, with its vibrant, mixed-use neigh-
52 BizTucson
<<<
Winter 2016
“
If you’re a millennial with a big idea, Tucson is a great place to be – because it’s probably not been done yet. You can define a name and a brand for yourself a lot easier than you could in other places.
”
– Zach Yentzer Director of Operations Ministry Resources International
borhoods full of local businesses as the ideal economic development engine for the city to continue attracting millenni-
als. “The tendency for the leadership in the Tucson metro region is to think in terms of big ideas, like this one big thing will boost the economy. I would say it is the opposite. It takes all the little things together to make that difference – and that includes the infrastructure,” she said. “I think about how many of my peers have opened small, local businesses and are thriving. Those projects are feeding the economy and it’s growing out from there.” Even some of the areas that Tucson has struggled with, like higher poverty rates and slower job growth, point to potential advantages for millennials, said 25-year-old Zach Yentzer. He works with the next generation of church leaders as director of operations for Ministry Resources International. “One of the knocks on Tucson has been a lack of opportunity, but I’ve always seen the opposite,” he said. “Where Tucson is at in its growth is a perfect time to do something big. Everything here is so wide open. “If you’re a millennial with a big idea,
www.BizTucson.com