Oxford used to be known as the ‘Gravel Capital of the World? and the home of the radio Lone Ranger.
But in order to revitalize its downtown area, Oxford must leave its quarries and fictional masked man in the past and carve out a new ‘niche? to attract shoppers, diners and entertainment seekers.
Find something that makes Oxford ‘distinct? and ‘competitive? amongst all the other downtowns and shopping opportunities, then ‘promote the heck out of it? ? that was the Main Street resource team’s primary message to the Downtown Development Authority during a press conference Friday morning.
Consisting of five Main Street experts, the resource team spent last week touring the downtown and village, interviewing a broad spectrum of locals and formulating recommendations as to how to revitalize downtown Oxford.
Establishing a ‘brand,? something that’s as ‘identified with downtown Oxford as Coca Cola is with soft drinks or Nike is with trainers,? is vital, according to resource team member Betsy Jackson, of The Urban Agenda, who’s specialty is promotions.
Each member of the resource team is an expert in a different facet of the Main Street program’s trademarked Four-Point Approach ? Organization, Promotions, Design and Economic Restructuring.
More than just a logo, the brand ‘is the definition of what Oxford does well,? according to Lauren Adkins, resource team member and program officer for the National Trust Main Street Center in Washington D.C.
Exactly what Oxford’s ‘brand? is must still be determined through a market analysis to be conducted by the DDA’s Economic Restructuring Committee.
However, resource team members agreed downtown already has a ‘good mix? of retailers and service-oriented businesses from which to find and build a niche to promote.
‘You don’t have a struggle as 80 percent of Main Street communities do to find your message among the two or three retailers that you can dust off and say you have,? Jackson said.
‘We’ve seen a number of downtowns across the country and overall Oxford’s downtown is very healthy,? said resource team member Matt Wagner, of the Wisconsin-based Center for Advanced Technology & Innovation.
Wagner, who spoke about economic restructuring, noted the downtown already has some ’emerging clusters,? which are ‘businesses that complement each other? and ‘share common customer groups.?
‘In essence, they can feed off each other and benefit by their proximity and/or relationship with each other,? Wagner said. ‘While they’re all independently owned, they’re still interdependent upon each other.?
An example of one of these clusters cited by the resource team is wedding-related businesses. Prospective brides and grooms can shop downtown Oxford for jewelry, flowers, caterers, wedding cakes, photographers, invitations and gifts.
Interior furnishings, fashion accessories and unique gifts are other clusters the resource team found downtown.
‘I haven’t gone into a store yet that doesn’t have something I’d buy as a gift for someone,? Jackson said. ‘You actually have niches to build a retail promotion campaign over the next couple of years.?
Adkins noted downtown also has a ‘hanging out on Friday night cluster? with the Oxford 7 Theater and Starbucks right across from each other, perfect for ‘date night.? She said the Starbucks also contributes to a ‘strong dining/entertainment cluster? of sit-down restaurants.
Resource team members explained that although M-24’s large traffic volume, which amounts to an estimated 39,000 vehicles per day, does cause problems, particularly gravel trucks for pedestrians, it’s been an ‘incredible positive? for the downtown businesses.
‘Merchants need that traffic,? Wagner said.
Wagner said the traffic volume is why a number of downtown businesses have expanded and relocated within the downtown. ‘That says something about the health of your downtown.?
‘As big an impediment to pedestrian flow as M-24 is, it has not resulted in having every other storefront vacant or 90 percent of the storefronts (devoted to) service instead of retail,? Jackson said. ‘You actually have quite a healthy amount and mix of retail,? which forms a ‘very good basis? for economic restructuring and promotions.
But it wasn’t just the businesses that resource team members were complimentary of, it was their owners.
‘You guys really stand out for having really smart business owners,? Adkins said.
Jackson described downtown’s merchants as ‘very customer friendly? and ‘very service-oriented,? which is something you don’t expect to find in a place ‘where you take your life in your hands crossing the street (i.e. M-24).?
‘These people are going the distance to patronize those businesses because they’re good,? Jackson said. ‘You’ll wait five minutes at the one intersection you can cross because you know the business on the other side is good and will treat you well and is happy to have you there.?
‘You already have people shopping those businesses under those conditions. Think what will happen when you can start to correct those conditions. How much more the business community will benefit from that,? Jackson noted.
Other Main Street resource team recommendations ?
n Downtown housing ? Noticing a lack of housing in and around the downtown, Wagner told the DDA, ‘You certainly need housing in the downtown. It’s a very important factor and you need more of it.?
‘Dual income households and other pressures on time? have changed the nature of shopping, he said. Shoppers are more concerned with convenience and proximity, which ‘really lends itself? to having a mix of downtown housing and as a result, ‘merchants right out my front door.?
Having people living downtown also creates a ?24/7 environment? for the area.
n Parking ? ‘Parking doesn’t lead, it follows? is a concept the resource team really wanted the DDA to take to heart.
The ‘primary focus should be? on the ‘overall business mix and new developments,? according to Wagner. Do this and ‘the parking will sort of follow.?
‘We just don’t want the DDA or Economic Restructuring Committee to be the parking committee,? he said. ‘Parking is one of the components of your overall downtown development scheme, but it certainly can’t be the primary focus.?
n Volunteers ? Treat the volunteers well and manage them effectively was Adkins? message to the DDA’s Organization Committee.
Don’t burn them out by ‘asking them to serve far longer than any human being should have to,? she said.
Adkins, who’s Main Street specialty is organization, recommended volunteers serve no longer than two or three years in one job and they be switched around to different jobs within the organization. ‘Don’t make people think it’s a lifetime sentence,? she said.
‘It’s not a prison sentence,? Jackson quipped.
Adkins also recommended the DDA enlist service groups ? like the Oxford Women’s Club or Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce ? as resources for volunteers.
With people’s busy schedules these days, many don’t have time to volunteer outside their groups. Asking them to volunteer for the DDA on behalf of their service group is basically killing two birds with one stone.
They’re fulfilling obligations to their respective group while simultaneously helping the downtown.