The department’s Economic Development efforts work on the premise that quality residential and visitor experiences strengthen area businesses and a healthy cultural community is a keystone to developing and strengthening the quality of life for residents and visitors. The department is actively involved in partnering with the community to develop local and regional initiatives to advance tourism and business.
Activities include:
- Working with local and state initiatives to advance cultural, tourism, and heritage based initiatives.
- Working upon requests with developers who wish to use the arts as a tool for revitalization and economic development.
- Working upon request with merchants associations on special events and marketing.
- Providing a growth incubator system for new or established individual artists and arts organizations seeking to expand operations through: donated or affordable space for rehearsals, productions, performances, or classes; technical assistance; marketing assistance; relocation assistance; referrals; film industry assistance.
- Continuing dialogue/coordination with other government entities, cultural organizations, artists, tourism and visitor’s bureaus, heritage organizations, and community and business leaders to advance local and state development.
- Maintaining active staff memberships in pertinent arts, tourism, and history organizations at the local and state level to coordinate efforts to develop and market the area/state collectively.
- Working to increase/upgrade public information such as city maps, tourism maps, event calendars (print and web), and City press for local and national publications.
- Utilizing local businesses to provide goods, services, and venues for events.