WHAT WE HAVE HEARD SO FAR... LINDEN COMMUNITY PLAN SMALL BUSINESS / RETAIL WORKING GROUP
aspirations Public Meetings - Early 2017 •
Need more local business owners to invest in the local community.
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More funding / access to capital. Keep employment within the community.
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Mutual start-up support / education for setting up and maintaining businesses.
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Increase diversity of businesses in Linden (grocery / community market, clothier, dining, health, coffee shops, thrift, furniture, pet grooming).
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Partner community gardening efforts with retail outlets / local restaurants (provide local jobs). Creation of SID (special improvement district(s) within Linden.
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Keep big box stores and chains out. Keep the look and feel while increasing walkable streets and small businesses that encourage people to engage in their neighborhood.
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More jobs for felons and small business programs. Accessible stores and businesses for people with disabilities.
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The immigrant community is thriving here and we want it to be supported and continue to thrive and run local businesses.
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Improve quality / quantity of businesses within Linden’s commercial corridors (incentivize).
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Address abandoned properties along Cleveland Avenue/throughout South Linden.
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Provide uniformity / improvement of corridor streets from I-71 into Linden (11th, 17th, Hudson, and Weber).
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Recruit destination driven businesses to locate within Linden.
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Closer monitering of businesses bothersome operations. Improve code enforcement.
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Promote Linden businesses to a broader (city-wide) audience.
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Linden version of North Market, Urban Farms.
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Incubator for Linden residents to explore new business ideas / Business facilities for local owners.
DISCUSSION •
Security guards, cameras and safety programs
Businesses in Linden would benefit most from…
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Our youth
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Showing youth that they are capable of owning & running a business
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More small business programs (employment for felons)
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Need more local, higher paying jobs
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Incubator space at basement of Traveler’s Rest Church
Meeting the needs of the community, goods that required for daily life
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Economic empowerment
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Locally owned (African American) businesses. Foreign owned businesses only hire family members
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Walmart, cheaper goods (ability to buy in bulk)
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More food options
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Recruiting and training
Pop Up Planning Events - Summer 2017
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Local businesses hiring from within the community, being transparent
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Safer environment
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Investment in local community
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More barber shops and salons
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Grocery store(s), more employment
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Providing affordable food / household and personal items for local residents
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More people coming into community to support local businesses
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Perception of safety, more parking
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Loans / access to financial resources
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Not selling beer and liquor
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Community activities and good will
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Being run by those who live in the community
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More people
discussion Meeting #1 - August 22, 2017 - Liberty Tax
Meeting #2 - September 26, 2017 - St. Stephen’s Community House
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Need to figure out how to encourage desirable businesses to stay in Linden, but discourage undesirable businesses.
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Sadicka and Roxyanne will have meetings with larger employers in Linden to understand their concerns / ideas.
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Community-wide wifi is needed - wifi / connectivity promote business and workforce development. Being connected is critical.
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Developers need to know the available retail and business spaces. Create inventory of available commercial / retail real estate in Linden. Put the available space in the Celebrate Linden app.
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Fresh Food Mart / new grocery store potentially opening at 11th and Cleveland.
Suggestion from group to reach out to elementary / HS students. Sadicka is setting up engagement with Windsor Stem Academy, and has reached out to Linden McKinley HS (someone suggested contacting the Dawn at Linden McKinley, head of the booster club). The Neighborhood Design Center is also coordinating visioning exercises with students at the Linden Stem Academy. These efforts are being coordinated with the art teacher, Sarah Rough.
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Center of Trade considering a distribution center in Linden, training people with IT credentials.
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Sign store relocated for affordable building.
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Not enough retail in Linden to support a franchise - preventing businesses from locating in Linden.
Reminder that the Greater Linden Business Network meets the 4th Thursday of the month. The next meeting is Thursday, September 29th, 5:30 to 7:00 pm at the Linden Branch Library. This months’ guest is Priscilla Tyson.
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Inquire about Columbus Department of Development business surveys.
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Find out who in Linden is driving for Uber and Lyft.
Businesses in Linden (especially those along the Cleveland Ave. corridor) suffer from lack of parking. Businesses need broad parking solution (metered parking lots / garage) to accommodate customers.
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Increase participation in the working groups. Put up signs on Cleveland Avenue.
Local business owners encouraged to attend the Neighborhood Pride event which will have numerous city officials to discuss issues / needs as they relate to business retention and development.
DISCUSSION •
Continue / bolster efforts by local Linden business owners to work with “at risk” students at Linden McKinley HS.
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Concern voiced that crimes are not investigated in Linden as thoroughly as other areas of the city (witnesses are dis-credited).
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Electrical infrastructure is inadequate. Several business owners indicated they suffer from frequent power outages.
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Historic structure considerations within community. Philanthropic organizations / city / state offer grants and tax incentives to refurbish / re-use these buildings.
Police must be willing to openly communicate and work with small business owners (build better rapport with local business owners / get to know them personally).
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There are layers of responsibility / work ethic that must be chipped away (reference to city sponsored youth employment program).
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Needed business in the community include: Coffee shops, apparel (Zumiez, Journey’s, Homage).
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Community needs more green space / recreational venues (basketball / playgrounds / skate board parks).
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Lighting is sub-standard in the community (safety issue).
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How can local businesses take advantage of the BRT? Advertising opportunity (link to Uber, restaurants, etc.).
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What economic incentives can be available to local businesses? Tax credits for businesses that hire within the community?
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Re-establish “Empowerment Zone”. Coordinate with Lisa McDaniels. (Note: the NDC checked the Columbus Compact Corporation website, and the mapping indicates that Cleveland Avenue is within the Empowerment Zone up to Maynard. Will investigate further).
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Concern over quantity / activity in and around “corner stores”. Many allow patrons to hang out in the parking lot. Comments regarding corner stores included: 1) what’s not for sale inside is for sale in the parking lot (drugs, counterfeit cd’s, etc.), 2) Very few owners are carding for alcohol or tobacco products, 3) development pattern along Cleveland Ave. corridor is Corner Store, Church then Barber Shop on one side of the street and, Corner Store, Garage and Corner Store on the other side of the street.
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Money spent in local corner stores is not finding its way back to the community.
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Changing the environment will require a sustained effort by code enforcement and law enforcement. Must have the “right people” working in the community. Encouragement by several group members to call both the new liaison officer and code enforcement immediately to address issues.
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Linden needs a police force that reflects the community (more minority recruitment).
discussion Continued: Meeting #2 - September 26, 2017 - St. Stephen’s Community House
Meeting #3 - October 24, 2017 Point of Pride, Linden
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Planned crosswalk improvements are a must.
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Are there enough stop signs along Cleveland Ave? Children cross streets all the time particularly risky near 11th and 17th avenues.
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Open markets should be encouraged within the community. It would be beneficial for Linden, if the money spent remains within the community.
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The Neighborhood Design Center will develop a poster (11” x 17”) encouraging participation in Community Working Groups. These will be distributed to local Linden businesses - Done.
Try to eliminate the north and south linden divide and combine its median income, to allow for better investments in the community and raise its real estate value.
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More funding / access to capital. Keep employment within the community.
Youth involvement in the retail economy is important. We need settlement houses to provide basic job training and vocational education for the youth of Linden.
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Goal is to provide budding entrepreneurs with opportunities to get vocational training, stay in the community and bring in more economic development.
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Keep the celebrate linden app running Linden students can take initiative to keep the app running in the future.
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A change in people’s perception of Linden is necessary. Business Alliance or Linden Live or Taste of Linden - a networking platform where business owners get a chance to advertise their products/businesses and grow.
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What kind of advertisements should be allowed on benches? Have design standards in place for advertisements.
Economic Sanctioning: don’t spend money where you don’t agree with their business practices. These businesses can either change, or go out of business.
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Establish “food app” that keeps revenue generated within the community.
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Is it possible for Columbus Police officers that are from Linden to patrol the neighborhood? Can discuss with the new community liaison officer at the next Health & Safety Working Group meeting.
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notes
NOTES
614.221.5001
Linden@theneighborhood designcenter.org
ourlinden.com