Building Healthy Corridors
Neighborhood business districts are the heart of every community. The resources, services and amenities available along those corridors directly impact the quality of life for residents.
CorridorLive! is a program designed to revitalize and reactivate local business districts through a deep and long-term commitment to a neighborhood. Working with local leaders, The Desk supports the acquisition of key real estate assets to help gain the necessary traction to transform their business district. The Desk works hand-in-hand with the community throughout the transformation process by bringing comprehensive supports, including capital and technical expertise.
Building by building, block by block, the community’s vision is brought to life.
The CorridorLive! Approach
CorridorLive! works to stabilize local business districts and position them for long-term growth through three key stages:
Planning and Design
Leveraging existing community plans, The Desk works with local leaders to define the “experience” residents want in their neighborhood business district. This experience varies by neighborhood and is reflective of their population, culture, and long-term economic development goals. The desired experience serves as a detailed roadmap for property acquisitions, business recruitment, outdoor activations, and more.
Business District Stabilization
Stabilizing the business district is the first priority. The focus of this phase is to begin to build the brand for the district, engage residents, and address immediate safety issues. Our collective efforts include: uniform signage, façade improvements, outdoor community spaces, and emergency repairs and board-ups. Coordination with local officials, government partners, and area anchor institutions are critical to this stage of work.
Wealth-Building & Long-Term Revitalization
In parallel with stabilization efforts, we work with local entities – nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and community groups — to increase their ownership and control of the properties in the district, increase the mix of services and products provided there, promote the growth and development of local small businesses, and build an environmentally sustainable infrastructure. The Desk works to coordinate the capital and other technical resources to directly acquire and renovate properties in the districts. These properties are then owned and activated by local leaders, small businesses, or community shared ownership.
Why are neighborhood corridors so important?
The condition of neighborhood business districts has a direct impact on the quality of life for residents, property values, and overall connectivity as a community. Blighted properties and high vacancies often result in crime, lower residential property values, absentee property owners, and limited access to quality goods and services. On the other hand, healthy corridors that boost local ownership and control of the real estate allow communities to create a positive experience for the local residents. This effort directly contributes to neighborhood stabilization — because people want to live in safe and inviting communities.
