A sit down restaurant, activity space, clothing stores and other retail establishments are among the top desired new business types in downtown Boone, according to community survey results presented Wednesday night, Sept. 11, at the city auditorium.
More than 530 people participated in the online survey, conducted by Main Street Iowa in conjunction with Boone recently being selected as a Main Street Iowa community. The strong survey participation easily exceeded the goal of 300 respondents set by Main Street Iowa. Survey results were part of a community presentation attended by about 50 people at city hall.
About 40 percent of survey respondents said their perception of Boone’s downtown is that it’s improving and making progress, while 35 percent thought it was declining or losing ground. About a quarter of those surveyed felt downtown Boone was steady and holding its own.
When asked about their potential interest in living in the downtown Boone Main Street district, nearly 20 percent of survey respondents indicated they would consider it, which translated to over 100 total survey takers. Almost 30 upper floor rentals are currently vacant according to canvassing done as part of Boone’s Main Street application. That canvass also revealed a number of upper floors downtown are not currently being used as residential rentals at all, representing a growth opportunity within the district.
The survey also revealed that the majority of downtown business owners are having a good year and are optimistic for the future as well. Of the 36 business owners that took part in the survey, over half said sales were up in the past year and 80 percent indicated sales were at least holding steady. And when asked what they expected for the coming year, two-third predicted an increase in sales for their business and a full 90 percent felt they would at least remain steady.
Main Street Iowa Executive Director Michael Wagler, Downtown Development Specialist Carol Lilly and Small Business Specialist Brooke Prouty led Wednesday night’s presentation and discussion. The trio was also in Boone on Thursday for strategy session meetings with the board of directors for Boone’s new Main Street program.
photo by Tom Blanford
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