On September 17, over 100 local leaders and business owners gathered at the Killeen Arts & Activities Center to learn about the “Building Blocks of Great Small Downtowns,” presented by Michele Reeves of Civilis Consulting. Michele is an urban strategist with extensive experience in revitalizing mixed-used districts, placemaking, retail leasing, development consulting, and project management. She was invited to speak by the Chamber’s Place Design Team as part of their Embrace the Place Speaker Series. Michele gave a presentation that included information on the ecosystem that is a high performing downtown and the role of businesses, property owners, and the public sector in making these districts thrive. The focus of this presentation was on short-term wins and leveraging existing strengths in the community. She recommended scific actions that both business owners and city government can take to start transforming downtown Killeen into a vibrant destination spot and economic asset. One suggestion was that ground level retailers should create an interactive experience for the consumer by having a “conversation with the sidewalk.” This can be done by modifying small details, such as color, façade design and window displays. Michele also recommended that business owners section their buildings into smaller parcels to help diversify the types of tenants they attract and maximize on their available space.
In addition to the presentation, Michele met with several downtown business owners one-on-one and discussed challenges and opportunities these business owners face. After her visit, she shared very favorable remarks about the community and downtown in particular: “It was delightful to visit Killeen and be able to walk around the town’s wonderful downtown core. It has everything I look for when it comes to revitalization—a great stock of buildings, built right next to each other, and located right up to the sidewalk. The key to bringing improvement will involve focusing on that infrastructure and accomplishing
three key goals there: a) engaging the base and its employees more effectively; b) making those buildings look the best that they can; and, c) creating a vibrant and active conversation at the sidewalk between the great collection of businesses and potential customers walking or driving through the district.”