Memphis visit spawns new visions, organization

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Springfield's community lead-ers and organizations know the importance of a mentor. |ret||ret||tab|

Trips to cities like Charlotte, N.C., and Memphis, Tenn., have shown city and community officials the successes and failures of other downtown redevelopment efforts. |ret||ret||tab|

A return trip to Memphis April 5-6, entitled Discover Downtown and arranged through the Urban Districts Alliance, focused on residential and neighborhood development surrounding center city areas. |ret||ret||tab|

Brian Fogle, a member of UDA's board of directors and a Discover Downtown participant, feels such development will help the lagging retail sector in downtown Springfield. Fogle prepared a summary of the trip's findings. |ret||ret||tab|

"That's one thing, I think, that could help the retail. If we could strengthen the surrounding neighborhoods and build a better link to them, then maybe those folks can come and utilize our retail," he said. "A priority of the city right now is neighborhood redevelopment in the center-city area." |ret||ret||tab|

The recent trip has spawned a new community development corporation like UDA, but it will focus on the neighborhoods instead of commercial areas. The Urban Neighborhood Alliance is in the developmental stages, he said, and will work in conjunction with UDA.|ret||ret||tab|

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Similarities |ret||ret||tab|

The April trip was the second visit to Memphis for Springfield leaders. Vision 20/20 incorporated an educational trip there in 1995. |ret||ret||tab|

A return was made, Fogle said, because of the success Memphis has experienced and the similarities it has with Springfield. |ret||ret||tab|

"We thought it would be good to revisit. Even though it's a much bigger city, there are a lot of similarities," he said. "They're just a little bit ahead of us in their maturation." |ret||ret||tab|

Like Springfield, Memphis is a regional transportation hub, experienced declines in its central business districts in the 1970s and 1980s, and had a surge in downtown dining and living prior to retail's comeback, he said. Springfield is waiting for the comeback.|ret||ret||tab|

"Retail is really the toughest thing to get," Fogle said. |ret||ret||tab|

Larger downtowns have the benefit of attracting national retailers. "It's tough to attract those big chains," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

UDA President Bob Horton agreed. He also was among the 31 participants of Discover Downtown Memphis. |ret||ret||tab|

He said the trip showed everyone the importance of mixed use in a downtown area. |ret||ret||tab|

Horton hopes to make Discover Downtown an annual trip, like the Springfield Area Chamber of Com-merce's Community Leadership visits. Last year's trip was to Charlotte. The Community Leadership team will visit Little Rock, Ark. June 27-29. |ret||ret||tab|

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UDA, DSA partnership|ret||ret||tab|

The group also learned the importance of a coordinating body to initiate all redevelopment efforts, Fogle said. Memphis has the Center City Commis-sion, an umbrella organization for five partnering entities.|ret||ret||tab|

To that end, UDA and the Downtown Springfield Association are sharing office space and collaborating their efforts. DSA President David Huff hopes to move the DSA offices in with the UDA staff at 304 W. McDaniel St. by July 1.|ret||ret||tab|

Huff understands that retail is the hardest sector to develop.|ret||ret||tab|

"The history of downtowns all over the country have an order to how they become vibrant, synergized areas of activity," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

He said it starts with specialty shops, coffee shops and restaurants, which Springfield has, and culminates with retail. |ret||ret||tab|

"I think when that happens (Springfield's) downtown will explode," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

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