P.U.M.A. helps to create, grow and refocus organizations that advance downtown and commercial corridor revitalization, community development and other civic agendas.
"Downtown CID Creation" (in process); "Downtown Strategic Plan" (2008); Anchored by major educational institutions, Columbia has successfully navigated through many past challenges to the vitality of its downtown. However, recent years have brought significant change, with increasing competition from both outside and within Columbia. The Columbia Special Business District realized that their focus should change from simply maintaining downtown to growing it. In early 2007 they contracted with P.U.M.A. to aid in the strategic restructuring of their downtown organization to help them accomplish this task. Recommendations focused on re-positioning the organization to serve a stronger economic development function in downtown through retention and recruitment initiatives and more comprehensive marketing and communications tactics. To support this, a shift in the structure and operations of the two organizations concurrently working on downtown issues was recommended, as was the development of a new funding district which will provide resources to implement the recommended initiatives. P.U.M.A. was subsequently retained to develop a management plan for the creation of the CID that will provide sustainable funding for the organization, and creation of that district is currently underway. Prepared for the Downtown Columbia Special Business District; Carrie Gartner, Director (573) 442-6816 Seattle, Washington "Downtown Investment Blueprint" (2008); "Competitive Edge" (2007);
In 2007, P.U.M.A. developed "Competitive Edge" a strategic plan providing recommendations on how the Downtown Seattle Association could help boost center city economic vitality efforts. Competitive Edge included an analysis of regional and national economic trends and each of its sectors, a best practices survey and an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in key economic sectors. Competitive Edge provided key recommendations that included changes to the Downtown Seattle Association's organizational structure, the creation of a new economic development business center and an outline for a process to develop a public/private investment blueprint for downtown. P.U.M.A. was subsequently retained to work with City and DSA officials to develop the investment blueprint. Prepared for the Downtown Seattle Association; Kate Joncas, Executive Director (206) 623-0340 Visalia, California "Downtown Visalia Strategic Plan" (2007); P.U.M.A. worked with the Downtown Visalia Alliance to complete a strategic plan that will bring Prepared for the Downtown Visalia Alliance; Elaine Martell, Interim Director (559) 732-7737 Cedar Rapids, Iowa Birmingham, Alabama Springfield,
Missouri "Business Plan for the Downtown Springfield CID" (1999); "Center City Springfield Organizational & Capital Development
Plan" (1996);
Cheyenne, Wyoming "Business Plan for Cheyenne Depot Square" (2001); As part of an inter-disciplinary team, P.U.M.A. created a downtown activation strategy as part of a plan to rehabilitate Cheyenne's historic train depot. The activation strategy capitalized on business development and investment opportunities beyond the Depot property to the surrounding nine-block lower downtown area. P.U.M.A. participated in the Depot planning process, including development of the facility management and financing plan. Prepared for the Cheyenne-Laramie County Economic Development Joint Powers Board; Bob Jensen, Project Manager (307) 433-9944 Denver, Colorado "Denver Indian Center Five-Year Strategic Plan" (2000); Business plan to stabilize and guide the growth of the Denver Indian Center, a community development organization providing basic human services, early childhood education, employment and training to assist American Indians in the metro Denver area. Prepared for the Denver Indian Center and the City of Denver; Jodi Adkins, Program Manager, City of Denver (720) 913-1526 |
cohesion to an existing marketing organization and a business improvement district. While both organizations share staff, they had distinct corporate identities and operating practices. The strategic planning process included extensive constituent outreach, including focus group discussions and a stakeholder survey to develop programmatic priorities. P.U.M.A.'s recommendations included suggestions that both groups should be unified under a new holding company structure. The plan also included recommendations to guide the renewal and potential expansion of the downtown business improvement district. P.U.M.A. was subsequently retained to assist with the PBID renewal in 2009.
