HomeMy WebLinkAbout[07b] Business Marketing Strategy/Branding Administrator Date: April 18, 2012
Judy Weyrens Memo To: Members of the EDA
Mayor City Administrator Weyrens
Rick Schultz Memo From: Cynthia Smith - Strack, MDG, Inc.
Councilors RE: EDA Marketing
Steve Frank
Bob Loso
Renee Symanietz Background.
Dale Wick At the February EDA meeting we each agreed to bring to the March meeting a list of:
EDA 1. Three specific work items the EDA could accomplish within five years.
Larry Bosch
Chad Davey 2. Three items or assets for which St. Joseph could be branded.
Steve Frank
Tom Skahen 3. Three quotes from people who live in the area but outside of St. Joseph responding to
Dale Wick what first comes to their minds when they think of the City of St. Joseph.
At the March meeting we talked about what people who live in the area but outside of St.
Joseph thought about St. Joseph. Just to refresh your memory, here are the responses:
• Presence of CSB
• Wobegon Trail (mentioned twice)
• Kay's Kitchen (mentioned twice)
• Eclectic
• Student population
• St. Joe Meat Market (mentioned twice)
• Vet Clinic
• Active citizens
• Festivals
• Small community but growing
• Expanding business base
• The arts
• Caring community
• Wetterling Foundation
• Farmers Market
• Conservative
• Connected community
• Lots of assets
• 'College town' but not in a cute, quaint way like it could be
• Family owned businesses
• Mom and pop shops
• Education, private schools, Kennedy Community School
• Cake eaters
• Monastery
• Go through to get to St. Cloud
Action.
At the April meeting the EDA is to bring information on and review the following:
1. Three specific work items the EDA could accomplish within five years.
2. Three items or assets for which St. Joseph could be branded.
Following are results from Board Member Heinen and I related to the aforementioned
`homework':
Three work items the EDA could accomplish within five years:
• Have an urban landscape architect produce a rendering of Minnesota Street from 2nd
Avenue NW to 2 Avenue NE and another of College Avenue from CSAH 75 to
Minnesota Street showing desired future streetscape including buildings, parking,
decorative lighting, streetscape amenities, landscaping, etc.
• Install trail /sidewalk, pedestrian amenities, decorative lighting, banners, and entry
signage along existing CSAH 2 /Minnesota Street from where new CSAH 2 veers north
to 2 Avenue NW.
• Install a water feature in the downtown.
• Purchase Sal's West and next rental house, demolish buildings, create shovel ready
CBD commercial lots.
• Implement Scenic Specialties streetscaping plan in public areas downtown.
• Work with Council to create downtown parking plan.
• Purchase rental house in the downtown and demolish, ready for a future use.
Three items or assets for which St. Joseph could be branded:
• College of St. Benedict
• Intelligent people
• Education (both Heinen and I had this on our lists)
• Strong opinions
• Outstanding private colleges
• Wobegon Trailhead
• Green initiatives such as the Kennedy Community School
• Old heritage, not cultural like New Ulm, but old heritage as in family names go back
generations and show pride, love of community
• Eclectic mix of uptown /urban /legacy /heritage