by Bailey White
Staff Writer
As the Florida Redevelopment Association’s Annual Conference continued Thursday at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, city planners and officials from around the state darted in and out of sessions, tours and exhibits. They came to share ideas and projects they’ve become involved with on the way to making their own downtown improvements.
The 10 Keys to Successful Downtowns seminar led by Tom Kohler, the senior vice president of Real Estate Research Consultants in Orlando, presented planners with a blueprint for success, piecing the tips together during his years of community planning in Orlando.
“We basically begged, borrowed and stole from everybody we could and then adapted it for our community,” Kohler said in his introduction about Orlando’s revitalized downtown.
Kohler’s first piece of advice was to know why downtown is important to its region.
“Downtown is the historical founding of the community, the psychological center of community, the cultural and religious center and the repository of leadership pool,” he said.
Terry Lorince, executive director of Downtown Vision, Inc., agreed that understanding all of a downtown’s roles are important.
“It’s important to know how crucial a strong downtown is to a region,” she said.
Kohler’s second point to downtown planners was defining downtown.
“There is great diversity in a downtown, where often the richest and the poorest, and the best and least educated and the youngest and the oldest, come together,” said Kohler.
Lyn Briggs, DVI marketing director, said that caused “a light bulb to go off. We need to understand the wide range of groups we need to cater to.”
Other points included knowing what specifically guides downtown, establishing clear geographic identity and identifying stakeholders.
“The key is to match up the leadership and advocacy with adequate resources,” said Kohler. “The research reservoir is time, talent and treasure.”
Many of Kohler’s examples came from his own experience with Orlando’s downtown development. He showed slides of creative ways to address parking, urban housing and retail areas when addressing the need for quality urban design. One Orlando parking garage’s ground level was used as retail incubators. Shallow spaces were rented at low prices to shops trying to get established in the downtown market.
Also recommended: “Knowing your natural and intrinsic strengths,” said Kohler, something Jacksonville’s planners are aware of, as they work to revive the riverfront.
“It’s important to create a sense of place by highlighting what is special to your area,” said Kohler, ending his talk with the reminder that marketing downtown is an ongoing effort.
“A successful downtown needs the active management of your community,” he told the audience. “You are keepers of the vision.”