![]() “That will definitely be an improvement,” said Knoxville City Clerk Pam Eagle. During the June City Council meeting, a proposal for a new ice cream store at 309 E. The TIF facade request plan, which Cosky helped develop, has already begun to have an effect. Slowly, the plans are coming to fruition. It’s going to take some time, but these projects will be beautifying the downtown and attracting businesses and hopefully more people.” “So now what we’re trying to do is implement our plans. “They’re all unique, and they’re all comparable in size,” Johnson said. The community exchange projects give committee members the opportunity to see what’s working in similar cities. “If you can couple all of these things together, you are really going to produce something of great value.”Īnd that’s exactly what the council is attempting to do, step by step, Johnson said. You also have this softer side, which is more of a historical design feeling,” Cosky said during her final presentation in May. “You have more of this technical side, which is luring these types of businesses in. Cosky, a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, developed a three-phase project centered on developing the downtown area. Similar stores with a niche or a focus on local products are what the council should aim for when attracting new businesses, said Elli Cosky. “Our small communities have a lot to gain by comparing notes and seeing what they can work on together.”įor Johnson and McKillip, the highlight of the Delavan visit was the Harvest Café, 317 Locust St., where ingredients are fresh, organic and often locally produced. “We gained so much information, and it was such a good visit,” said Carrie McKillip, committee member and Extension educator at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Most recently, the committee visited Delavan on Thursday, where they sampled local restaurants and sites. “And what (these cities) are trying to do is maintain their identity, and of course increase the quality of living for people.” “We need economic development in Knoxville, no question,” said acting Mayor Bob Johnson. Over the past year, committee members have worked on community exchange projects, visiting nearby cities undergoing similar transformations, including Elmwood, Delavan and Lacon. ![]() As Knoxville City Council considers its plans for revitalizing the downtown area, members of the Community and Economic Development Steering Committee are looking to their neighbors for ideas.
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