Cataloguing Town biz vacancies, being a liaison new Hobbs duty
Farragut government leaders are making a push to build closer relationships with Town businesses, while cataloguing vacancies for future business consideration within its borders.
Announced by Trevor Hobbs, assistant to the Town administrator during the monthly Shop Farragut/Farragut Business Alliance virtual meeting Thursday morning, March 18, “I will be, starting soon, mount(ing) a full visit campaign with as many businesses as I can get in touch with throughout the Town.”
Although saying he’s previous been “out and about” in contacting various Town businesses, “I’ve really never been able to go and just (contact) every business and just talk to the manager, try and get in touch with the owner, and just make sure they know who I am and what we’re trying to do,” he said.
“Along with that, I will be able to document all of our occupied spaces, and more importantly document our vacant spaces,” Hobbs added. “Be able to create a database that we can then maintain every couple of months.
“Offer that information and maybe put it on our website, so that people interested in the community can just have a list of addresses, tenant spaces, and whoever is the contact to lease that.”
It’s defined as “our economic development strategy, to be able to offer that,” he added.
Other than P 3 Martial Arts, Hobbs said it is “only rumors” concerning any other businesses possibly considering a move into a space in the renovated former Ingles location.
However, concerning the business vacancy rate in West End Center, Hobbs said, “If they’re not at 100 percent, they’re at 99.”
If counting the “retail shopping that’s just in the main area” along or near West End Avenue, “I do believe that that’s at full capacity,” he added.
