Downtown Strategy and what is possible.

Challenges and solutions. We can do this Plainfield!

Fact #1-
Plainfield is a beautiful town filled with many beautiful homes--for sale. There are more than 350 houses for sale for under 350K. 350K is also the projected price of units in the so called "Transit Village" strategy. This strategy would cause existing housing prices to fall and keep houses on the market even longer than they already are. We don't need more capacity. We all know that unsold houses eventually become overcrowded rentals. Overcrowded rentals eventually become overcrowded problems.

Solution-- Real economic development will require investment capital coming back into the city. Creating a platform for a major employer is the first step. I don't agree with the idea of tax abatements in most cases but there are exceptions to every rule. The exception would be if a company similar to Lucent or AT&T wanted to set up shop in Plainfield. The abatement would only be for a short span and the economic impact would send ripples through our local economy and housing market for years to come... A major employer would reduce the inventory of homes for sale and increase overall economic activity and reduce taxes on residential property tax owners. First steps investing real Code Enforcement and Technology infrastructure.

Fact #2
The idea that we need to bring in people from outside our community to save downtown Plainfield ignores the current residents in surrounding neighborhoods. The reason why downtown Plainfield has underperformed for many years is because of one simple reason. People who live in the surrounding suburbs for the most part do their shopping elsewhere. Its that simple and its a fact. The reason why so many don't shop downtown is not so simple. Addressing those underlying issues takes political guts and willingness to take criticism. Leaders don't seek consensus they build it.

Solution-- We need to concentrate investment in a specific area to establish area where the best of dining, entertainment and professional businesses can cluster. Mobile vendors that can concentrate in that area with more allowed for special events. It will allow for new products and services to be offered without the typical barriers to entry most businesses face. The key here is new people downtown. Eventually these vendors can go the way of brick and mortar further expanding the cluster.

Fact #3
With a projected job growth rate of a meager 1.4%, Plainfield's local economy isn't creating enough new jobs. Its why on any given day downtown you see too many young adults with seemingly too much time on their hands. This demographic is a key to our local economy because they tend to spend most of their disposable income in the community they live in unlike more affluent adults.

Solution--A downtown community/commercial center can be a hub of economic development. This can act as a place for larger town events we currently don't have the venue for. The technical element can be a cornerstone of continuing education and incubator for small business and entrepreneurs. All done with a visible police force to establish and maintain the business climate.

This is true economic growth. A corporate base, dining and entertainment, a community and technical center. These all add to the quality of life to the community as a whole. If this critical mass existed you wouldn't need to build a transit village you would be creating one with people who already love the city.


-Tony Rucker-