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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-17-11City of Lakeville Economic Development Commission Planning Commission Joint Work Session Agenda Thursday, November 17, 2011, 5:00 p.m. Marion Conference Room City Hall, 20195 Holyoke Avenue Lakeville, MN Presentation of Draft Community Input Report for the City Business Marketing Strategy — Tripp Muldrow from Arnett Muldrow and Associates with present the attached draft report and facilitate a discussion. d City of Lakeville Community and Economic Development Memorandum To: Economic Development Commission Planning Commission From: David L. Olson, Community & Economic Development Director Copy: Steven Mielke, City Administrator Daryl Morey, Planning Director Adam Kienberger, Economic Development Specialist Tripp Muldrow, Arnett Muldrow & Associates Date: November 10, 2011 Subject: Lakeville Business Marketing Strategy Draft Community Input Report Arnett Muldrow & Associates is the consulting firm that was hired by the City in July to prepare a business marketing strategy for the City. Tripp Muldrow and two of his associates spent several days in Lakeville last month and met with or interviewed over 50 community stakeholders. They did this through a series of individual and small group interviews and roundtable discussions with various groups in the community including the Economic Development Commission and Planning Commission. Tripp will review the attached summary of community and stakeholder input that was collected during their visit and facilitate discussion and feedback from members of both the Economic Development Commission and Planning Commission. As indicated in the summary report, the comments do not represent the views of the Consultant of the City of Lakeville but rather the feedback received during the interviews. A Business Marketing Strategy for Lakeville, MN DRAFT Community Input Report High levels of stakeholder involvement and participation are the hallmark behind the process behind the development of any successful marketing. During the initial visit to Lakeville, well over fifty community stakeholders participated and provided input via individual and small group interviews and thematic roundtable discussions. Following is a condensed, topical synopsis of community and stakeholder input collected during the first trip to Lakeville. The information and ideas shared by participants provide a strong framework for the Business Marketing Strategy. The opinions reflected in the statements below are a synopsis of what we heard during the interviews and do not represent the views of the Consultant or the City of Lakeville. Lakeville is Viewed as: • A well - balanced community that provides a wide array of housing choices, an industrial /business base, and community services. • A part of the greater Minneapolis /St. Paul metro area. • A transition location between rural Minnesota and the urban metropolitan area. • A place that is progressive with room to grow. • Having a lot of dimension, it is NOT just a bedroom community. • Having a level of sophistication to Lakeville. • Having many communities: downtown, uptown, Industrial Park, etc. Lakeville is a "Collection of Villages." • A family community. • A quality community that wants quality growth. • "Pregnant with possibilities" Competitive /Marketing Advantages include: • Location prior to the Interstate 35 E and W split. • Multi -modal location with interstate, US Highway, railroad, and air access. • Excellent quality of life. • From a visitor standpoint, Lakeville offers the comfort of a "small town" with easy access to big city amenities. • Excellent full service hotel complemented by quality limited service hotels. • Better freight rates because of location. • Nationally recognized schools. • Lakeville is 38 square miles with room to grow... lots of potential. • Excellent demographics are attractive for corporate growth. A Business Marketing Strategy for Lakeville, MN • Growing cluster of food related businesses (Malt -O -Meal, Con -Agra, etc) Assets include: • A unique and authentic downtown that is neither a "precious" district nor a developer copy of a downtown. • Parks and lakes — Lake Marion in particular. • Interesting history as recreation area and railroad town. • Four interchanges on the interstate and the City has been willing to pay for improvements to those interchanges. • Schools. • Qualify of life is easy, safe, and not as hectic. • Does not have the ugly commercial strip like some towns. • Good dining options currently but need more. • Pan- O -Prog is a unique community event. • Lakeville has a strong retention rate of its students... 60% of students want to come back to Lakeville. • Airlake Airport is an excellent asset that could continue to thrive and grow. • The City is proactive and responsive to businesses and citizens. • The people of Lakeville want and support economic development. • Commuter bus service. • There is a pride of place in Lakeville. • Many events sponsored by DLBA in the downtown including a farmers market. • Inspections Department of the City has been singled out for its cooperativeness. Challenges /Opportunities Include: • Perception of being "far away" from the metropolitan area particularly by those who live north of the Cities. • Some in Lakeville do not know that downtown even exists. Others do not realize that Lakeville is a business /industrial location. • First image of Lakeville is Fantasy Gifts, which does not reflect well on the community as approached from the south. • Lack of identifiers at southern entryway to the City and at other key gateways. • Difficult to navigate through the city to major attractions /parks /amenities. • As with many communities, Lakeville has seen diminished business because of the recession though it has fared better than other communities. A Business Marketing Strategy for Lakeville, MN • Lakeville's proximity to other major retail centers has created a market where retail /restaurant uses in the city are disproportionately not as significant when compared to the resident population. • "Crossing the River" is still viewed by some as "leaving the Twin Cities metro." • The "Bermuda Triangle" where residents of Lakeville have a Rosemount or Farmington zip code. • There are concerns among some about the tax situation in Lakeville being too high. • There are remnants of "Old Lakeville" versus "New Lakeville." • Communications network is a challenge: businesses are asking for fiber. • Some feel that the City development process is too proscriptive and not as flexible as it should be. • Many who work in the industrial parks do not live in Lakeville, the come in from the rural areas. • Conversely, many who work in the business park reverse commute from the Twin Cities because they are young and want to live in a "cooler" setting. • There is an opportunity to better promote entrepreneurship in Lakeville. Marketing Efforts Should: • Try to tie together the color palette, typeface, and design of the Chamber /Tourism with that of the City and Economic Development. • Target business owners who live here and commute to locate here. • Continue to send the message that Lakeville is "everything you want in a trip to the cities with none of the hassle you don't want" • Figure out how to dispense with the "gateway" usage as it implies passing through to get to where one really wants to go. • Downtown should be a key marketing point in the effort. • Talk about Lakeville as being the best of everything, close to farms, the Twin Cities etc. • Seek to balance "small town atmosphere" with full service and progressive city. • Explain that the city is an advocate for growth and development and say "why we want you in Lakeville and here's how we can help." • Should definitely be a message both to outsiders about Lakeville but also to residents about what their own community is about. • Consider using the work community as it imparts a sense of belonging. • Look at cross promoting how the businesses in Lakeville work with one another. • Consider marketing downtown as "The Village"