Jenell Moffett, DAA's chief impact officer, stated, 'When we're looking at storefront retail vacancy, we are looking at those vacancies as opportunities to bring these small (arts) businesses to downtown. Downtown for a long time has been perceived as an inaccessible place, perceived as not affordable and just not attainable.' She emphasized that the revitalization efforts could inadvertently hurt existing businesses by causing prices to rise, pushing out those who have been a fixture of the community.
Moffett further noted, 'To make matters worse ... if the downtown is being redeveloped and constantly being improved upon with these major projects, that then brings more focus and investment in the area that could have adverse effects on businesses that are already here. We want to ensure that while we improve downtown, we don't lose the culture and diversity that makes it special.' This underscores the delicate balance being sought in the city's transformation.
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