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GRAND JUNCTION — The city of Grand Junction and Mesa County spent thousands of dollars looking for ways to spruce up North Avenue and Clifton.
Wednesday, the Grand Junction City Council approved a $72,000 contract with a Fort Worth, Texas-based company that will help the city and county figure out what types of retail stores should go in those areas. The firm, Buxton, will also offer retail opportunity suggestions for downtown Grand Junction and Orchard Mesa.
The county and city will each pitch in $31,250 for the contract. The Downtown Development Authority will pay $7,500, and the Grand Junction Economic Partnership will spend $2,000.
Buxton employees search through the company’s database of 5,000 retailers and try to match businesses to a part of town where stores might expect to do well. The firm won’t bring the store to a town, it will just make the suggestion to the city and/or the business. The company also suggests what type of retail should go in an area.
Buxton’s clients range from cities to California Pizza Kitchen and FedEx.
City Manager Laurie Kadrich said Buxton made a presentation to city employees in early 2007, when she was still deputy city manager. The city invited Buxton back for a couple more presentations before deciding to enter into a contract with them.
Local governments bodies focused on North Avenue, Clifton, Orchard Mesa and downtown Grand Junction so people wouldn’t have to drive to other areas to shop, said Kadrich.
“Some people might think it’s strange because we have such a strong retail market, but we’re looking at these areas because we want them to develop in ways they haven’t before or in new ways,” Kadrich said.
The city will take the information they get from Buxton and hand it to the city’s “economic partners” in hopes that they’ll use the advice to expand or bring new retail options to an area, Kadrich said. The city and county will not use the information to force a business to close to make way for a new store.
Reach Emily Anderson at eanderson@gjfreepress.com.
Wednesday, the Grand Junction City Council approved a $72,000 contract with a Fort Worth, Texas-based company that will help the city and county figure out what types of retail stores should go in those areas. The firm, Buxton, will also offer retail opportunity suggestions for downtown Grand Junction and Orchard Mesa.
The county and city will each pitch in $31,250 for the contract. The Downtown Development Authority will pay $7,500, and the Grand Junction Economic Partnership will spend $2,000.
Buxton employees search through the company’s database of 5,000 retailers and try to match businesses to a part of town where stores might expect to do well. The firm won’t bring the store to a town, it will just make the suggestion to the city and/or the business. The company also suggests what type of retail should go in an area.
Buxton’s clients range from cities to California Pizza Kitchen and FedEx.
City Manager Laurie Kadrich said Buxton made a presentation to city employees in early 2007, when she was still deputy city manager. The city invited Buxton back for a couple more presentations before deciding to enter into a contract with them.
Local governments bodies focused on North Avenue, Clifton, Orchard Mesa and downtown Grand Junction so people wouldn’t have to drive to other areas to shop, said Kadrich.
“Some people might think it’s strange because we have such a strong retail market, but we’re looking at these areas because we want them to develop in ways they haven’t before or in new ways,” Kadrich said.
The city will take the information they get from Buxton and hand it to the city’s “economic partners” in hopes that they’ll use the advice to expand or bring new retail options to an area, Kadrich said. The city and county will not use the information to force a business to close to make way for a new store.
Reach Emily Anderson at eanderson@gjfreepress.com.
