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Working group flags vacancy loss, recommends bus ads, clearer business guidance and land review
Summary
Council’s local/business engagement working group reported outreach to peer cities and local stakeholders, found ~13 acres of vacant commercial land county‑owned or available, a loss of ~200,000 sq ft of commercial space, and recommended low‑cost steps (transit ads, clearer how‑to resources) plus further study of developable parcels.
A three‑member County Council working group presented a progress report on Aug. 19 aimed at improving the small‑business environment and reducing commercial vacancy.
Councillors Hermann, Reger and Wrighty summarized months of outreach — including a trip to Clovis to study that city’s LETA program — and described policy approaches other jurisdictions use to recruit retail and repurpose vacant space. Councillor Reger described Clovis’ post‑payment grant approach that reimburses businesses based on gross receipts tax performance; that program has helped redevelop former mall space without upfront city cash in the examples shown.
The working group reported local findings: county records show about 13 acres of commercial‑zoned vacant land, a local hotel room inventory of roughly 220 rooms, and a net loss of about 200,000 square feet of commercial space over several years (largely from demolition). Councillors also said Columbus Capital discussed a long‑range project with hotel components and that developers had mentioned a potential $55 million commitment as a request in early high‑level conversations.
For action, the group recommended a set of “low‑hanging fruit” the county could pursue quickly: simple transit interior ads to promote local businesses and attractions; clearer published guidance for starting a business and an online point of contact; better public tracking of BRiDAL/MRA timelines and business openings/closings; and exploration of whether county staffing (e.g., inspectors) could be expanded to speed openings. The working group also recommended further study of developable county parcels east of Eastgate and closer collaboration with local economic development groups.
Councilors discussed next steps and asked staff to arrange a follow‑up meeting with the Local Business Coalition to refine recommendations; the working group will continue outreach and present updates.
