The City of Columbus, OH engaged ESI, New Reach Community Consulting, and The Riddle Company to support economic development planning for the East Livingston Avenue Corridor. The primary objective was to identify strategies to encourage revitalization, strengthen the local economy, and foster sustainable business activity within this commercial corridor. The study aimed to develop actionable recommendations tailored to the area’s unique characteristics, addressing market realities, available resources, and potential political and operational challenges.
The project combined comprehensive market and demographic analysis with retail and competitive benchmarking. ESI conducted a detailed retail market study defining trade areas, examining demographic and employment trends, evaluating supply and demand conditions, and identifying retail gaps that could support neighborhood-serving growth. Competitive benchmarking, trend analysis, and a retail SWOT assessment informed a five-year action-oriented retail development and marketing strategy.
An extensive stakeholder engagement program was led to ensure the study reflected community priorities and insights. This included stakeholder mapping and analysis, a survey distributed to residents, businesses, and organizations, and public meetings designed to solicit input on redevelopment priorities.
Initial research revealed weak market fundamentals, suggesting that a traditional retail expansion strategy would not be sufficient to catalyze sustainable change. The team therefore shifted focus toward a broader community development framework emphasizing neighborhood stabilization and grassroots improvement efforts. Analysis highlighted that while the corridor had experienced prior population decline, it is now showing signs of demographic stabilization and modest income growth. The study found opportunities to strengthen existing retail activity, attract small and locally owned businesses, and introduce service-oriented uses that better meet neighborhood needs.
In the near-term, recommendations included designating the corridor for City Clean and Safe programs, implementing façade improvement grants, and targeting recruitment of neighborhood-serving businesses. Longer-term recommendations identify catalytic redevelopment sites, exploring commercial community land trust models to preserve affordability, and establishing formal governance structures. The combined research, marketing strategy, and stakeholder input enabled the City to make informed decisions on revitalization efforts, align public and private initiatives, and prioritize investments with measurable economic and community impacts.
Sourced from https://econsultsolutions.com/livingston-avenue-retail-market-analysis/
