STRATEGIC
FEBRUARY 2024
STRATEGIC PLAN FRAMEWORK
Building on the success of the prior strategic plans, at its 2022 retreat, the City Council identified five long-term goals that are all priorities for the City Council. At its February 2024 retreat, City Council reframed the “Reduce (Residential) Blight” and “Increase the Quality and Quantity of Housing” priorities into “Support Neighborhood Redevelopment Efforts”. This illustrates a more holistic priority approach and encompasses elements beyond housing.
Downtown Catalyst Project
• Complete Streets & Walkability
• Stadium renovations
• Parking
• Streamline business activation process
• Implementation of Raise Grant
Southwest/Small-Scale Manufacturing Corridor Plan
• Develop 300 Oak vision
• Revisit & align existing plans/strategies
• Phase 1 greenway design
• Benchmark industrial revitalization in other cities
Raise High Point’s Profile as a World Arts & Design Capital
• Adopt a public arts policy
• Make Arts & Design a focus of our downtown aesthetic
• Enhance capacity to host Arts & Design events
• Explore Arts District
• Explore creation of an Arts & Design Museum
Support Neighborhood Redevelopment Efforts
• Pick a neighborhood and develop implementation plan
• Involve Tree Initiative
• Dirt moving behind left field
• Zoning policies for mixed use & density
• Follow EDC model/mindset
• Housing policies/receivership
DOWNTOWN CATALYST PROJECT
● Short term goals:
○ Complete Streets & Walkability
○ Stadium renovations
○ Parking
○ Streamline business activation process
○ Implementation of Raise Grant
● Who is involved:
○ Forward High Point, EDC
○ Visit High Point, staff
○ Private sector; business owners; investors
● Resources:
○ Raise Grant
○ ARPA, general revenue funds
○ Bond issues
○ Investor dollars
● How to measure success:
○ The night is ignited!
○ Dirt moving behind left field
○ Business activation process on paper
● Challenges
○ Cost of construction
○ Labor
○ Property
○ Permitting & planning stages
SOUTHWEST/SMALL-SCALE
MANUFACTURING CORRIDOR PLAN
● Short term goals:
○ Develop 300 Oak vision
○ Revisit & align existing plans/strategies
○ Phase 1 greenway design
○ Benchmark industrial revitalization in other cities
● Who is involved:
○ EDC
○ BHP Chamber
○ Southwest renewal foundation
○ Private sector
○ Guilford Works
● Resources:
○ ARPA funds
○ EDC incentives
● How to measure success
○ Diversity of business types?
○ New business in pipeline
○ One succinct plan for the area
RAISE HIGH POINT’S PROFILE AS A WORLD ARTS & DESIGN CAPITAL
● Short term goals:
○ Adopt a public arts policy
○ Make Arts & Design a focus of our downtown aesthetic
○ Enhance capacity to host Arts & Design events
○ Explore Arts District
○ Explore creation of an Arts & Design Museum
● Who is involved:
○ State, Chamber of Commerce
○ Manufacturers, market, designers
○ Visit HP & Arts Council
○ HPU and other universities
○ Industry-related non-profits
● Resources:
○ Pursue grants
○ Private partnerships
○ Philanthropists
○ Learn from other design capitals
● How to measure success:
○ Activity/foot traffic
○ Press coverage for art & design
○ Doing this without raising taxes
○ Revenue increases (sales, property)
● Challenges:
○ The City of High Point is a catalyst, not a leader
SUPPORT NEIGHBORHOOD REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
● Short term goals:
○ Pick a neighborhood & develop implementation plan
○ Involve Tree Initiative
○ Dirt moving behind left field
○ Zoning policies for mixed use & density
○ Follow EDC model/mindset
○ Housing policies/receivership (Make local friendly)
● Who is involved:
○ Realtors Association, builders
○ CD&H
○ Property owners
○ Neighborhood residents, associations, etc.
○ Non-profit partners
○ TREBIC
○ Housing authority
○ City departments
● Resources:
○ Housing bond?
○ HUD funds
○ ARPA funds
○ Non-profit funding
○ Private dollars
○ State tax credits
● How to measure success:
○ Amount of mixed use AND mixed income living
○ What is in the pipeline
○ Housing stock
○ Property values
○ Crime statistics
○ Demolishing fewer houses
● Challenges:
○ Urban sprawl; building up
○ NIMBY
○ Where does incentive funding come from?
○ Social & political challenges
