Commission backs ASU gateway study and expands tourism outreach after film market report
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Summary
The commission agreed to move forward with an ASU collaboration to study how the I-11/I-40 gateway can be used to direct interstate travelers into downtown Kingman and supported continued tourism and film-industry outreach, including county participation in the American Film Market and partnerships with Discover Inland Empire.
Kingman City’s Economic Development Advisory Commission voted to proceed with a proposed ASU student collaboration to study land-use and multimodal strategies around the forthcoming I-11/I-40 interchange and to strengthen downtown linkages for tourists.
Staff described goals including identifying opportunity sites, multimodal circulation improvements, historic-preservation ties, gateway wayfinding and strategies to encourage interstate travelers to exit for downtown Kingman. The proposed study would run roughly January–May and rely on academic literature, stakeholder interviews and a current historic survey; staff said the effort would focus less on community survey work than the earlier ASU art study and more on technical land-use and circulation analysis.
Commissioners also heard an informational report on county participation at the recent American Film Market in Los Angeles. Staff said the county-led effort exposed Kingman to location scouts and industry buyers; a hired local contractor, Austin Anderson (Miller Anderson Creative), provided a positive after-action report and recommended stronger visual materials (backdrop banner, laminated county map), more RealScout location listings and stronger outreach to Arizona film programs. Staff reported the joint presence cost about $15,000 split among partners. Additionally, staff summarized a Discover Inland Empire fam trip and Taipei travel-fair participation that promoted Route 66 itineraries to Mandarin-speaking markets.
A motion to move forward with the ASU gateway project and continue related tourism outreach was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.
Next steps: staff will proceed with the ASU collaboration, integrate historic-survey data for student work, and continue developing tourism/film outreach materials and location lists for producers and scouts.