from the Town
Town center at biddle farms cooperative kicks off with successful meeting
This occurred recently when Community Development staff met with a group of Town Center at Biddle Farms business owners and managers. The goal of staff was to establish the Town Center at Biddle Farms Cooperative. The Cooperative would build relationships, share concerns, find solutions and coordinate events with the goal of making the Town Center a vibrant, connected commercial district. Visit Farragut, the Farragut West Knox Chamber of Commerce (FWKCC) and the Farragut Business Alliance would also have a seat at the table.
After a discussion of the proposed purpose of the Cooperative, business owners spoke up. Brad Hamlett of Bradley’s Chocolates said the store hadn’t had the foot traffic they’d hoped for. Matt Trowbridge of SweatHouz complained about the Town’s permitting process.
This honesty was the first step of the trust-building process. Community Development director Mark Shipley said his department is working to reduce permitting delays by keeping owners and tenants informed during construction regarding issues that could impact the project timeline. Ideas then began to flow for how to attract customers to Biddle Farms. Visit Farragut representative Donna Spangler talked about plans to host special events in the Biddle Farms green space. FWKCC president/CEO Julie Blaylock suggested hosting a “crawl” that would showcase multiple businesses with a walking event. Christina Rister from Anchor 934 Apartments (now 90 percent leased) said she could highlight Biddle Farms businesses and events in move-in packets.
“There’s so much we can do together to make (Town Center at Biddle Farms) the vibrant space it was intended to be,” Christina said. “This is a really exciting time for the town.”
The meeting ended with enthusiasm from all participants and a commitment to encourage other Biddle Farms businesses to participate in the Cooperative. The group will meet again soon to discuss a charter.
The magic ingredient of this successful meeting was that participants felt heard. They were given permission to express concerns, and when they did, Town staff listened and committed to finding solutions. I predict this will lead to a successful public/private partnership.
Listening is one of the most important roles of local government and I look forward to future opportunities for the Town to participate in trust-building engagement.
