POPULATION 14,000
Imagine your Main Street is also a state highway. And major works needs to be done. This happened in Hutchinson Minnesota when the Minnesota Department of Transportation informed the City of Hutchinson that in three years the repairs would happen and all the city services below ground would be replaced at the same time. In most locations, the businesses would simply plan to close for the duration. Not in Hutchinson. The Chamber of Commerce decided that was not going to happen. The goal of Main Street 2020-Road to An Even Better Hutchinson was 100% of the 133 parcels along an eight block by two block corridor through downtown remaining open through the duration of construction.
The ramp up to keeping the businesses open began with the Chamber of Commerce forming a task force to educate and support businesses affected by the construction. A bright orange working binder hand delivered to every business and building owner included contact information for key personnel, ADA improvement surveys, project parameters, EDA facade loans and sign and awning grant changes to support alley access upgrades, suggestions from local bankers, marketers, and others on best practices during construction. Ultimately back alley access was upgraded and improved for each business during 2018 and 2019.
Keeping the businesses open required a robust promotional program:
- Billboard supporting downtown businesses were installed on all four main incoming State Highway
routes - Signage directing shoppers to the downtown parking lots that were available was installed on detour
route - The local newspaper published regular updates to the community
- Regular email updates were sent to the affected businesses
- The Chamber website included constant updates, success stories and contact information
- Video tours of back alley access to businesses were shared on social media and local access television
- Business owners made and posted their own videos asking people to keep shopping downtown
- Blessings of the road as activities and sections were completed was done by local pastors
- There were road viewing opportunities from businesses with large windows to the gaping holes
Keys to Success
• Instead of viewing the construction as a business disaster, it was transformed into community wide promotion
• The entire town got behind the effort to keep the businesses open
• Proactive action carried the day
• Businesses that were affected were kept informed and involved during the entire process
• Visitors were directed to shopping opportunities in town they may not have otherwise known about
