PSA - Four (4) Month Recast Boost for Target Jurisdiction and Property - Recast City LLC

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and the level of vitality has not quite crossed the critical threshold. At present there are still too many "missing teeth" (empty spaces between buildings), too many surface parking lots, and far too few residents throughout the core of downtown South Bend. Several small manufacturers indicated that they liked being able to live downtown while having their business nearby, a desire that reflects national trends. Housing options in downtown are growing but are still limited. The funding directed at reinvestment in downtown is still fairly limited, but the model could support other target neighborhoods —like the Sample Street Corridor —specifically for building facade and retail improvements. Recommendations The recommendations below include both short-term projects to quickly mobilize the community and its business owners, and long-term projects around which to build consensus. A number of specific tactics for each major recommendation are provided to help the city find the activities most appropriate to the community. The recommendations fall into five major categories. 1. Focus on building strong and diverse relationships. South Bend clearly has a lot to offer small-scale manufacturing business owners. But these owners do not know how and where to connect to existing services, mentors, or other entrepreneurs. Additionally, Latino and African American business owners may face significant additional barriers to these assets. The City, service providers, and neighborhood leaders need to continue to work together to build relationships —and trust —across business owners from different communities in South Bend. The business community will be strongest this way and the local economy most vibrant. This includes: • Find more trusted connectors who will help the City reach business owners not yet represented at the table. These connectors, from the business community, neighborhood associations, faith leaders, neighborhood service providers, and many other civic leaders, can help the City understand in detail the barriers each population faces to launch and grow businesses in South Bend. • Build a network of small-scale manufacturing business owners to consistently bring this part of the local business community together. A location -based program such as CoMo Makes may serve as a great model for the Sample Street Corridor or city-wide. Regular meet -ups in different neighborhoods will help to bridge the gaps across communities and help to identify more business owners looking for support. Specifically reach out to consumer -focused product businesses who feel completely left out of the broader manufacturing conversation. • Bring services into the neighborhoods, similar to the current programming on Western Ave and the La Casa De Amistad. Partner with a trusted leader in each target neighborhood to organize pop-up business service days and create a one -stop shop for all business needs on a regular schedule. • Support business owner outreach and leadership through funding competitions, consumer product pitch events, and reverse pitch events from anchor institutions in need of products. Consider adapting programs from Startup Communities for the local small production sector to help build the network and the public relations around this sector. • Build a business database of local small-scale manufacturing businesses. Solicit this information from the community and create a space online for these businesses to sign 0