Forward Janesville - TheReport - Fall 2016

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8 • W W W . F O R W A R D J A N E S V I L L E . C O M
A Passion for
Downtown Development
What does it take to truly transform a downtown?
Building Blocks
For decades, Quint Studer worked to perfect the art of
patient satisfaction, first in a variety of roles for health care
providers like Parkside Lodge, Mercy Health System,
Holy Cross Hospital and Baptist Hospital, and later as
president and founder of Studer Group consulting. Today,
however, he’s taking that passion for process to downtown
development.
“Research proves again and again that downtown
development is critical to urban growth. In the end, it’s all
about the jobs. A vibrant city attracts and creates jobs.
Then the demand for workers raises wages and this
money goes back into the city, which creates more and
better paying jobs,” said Studer.
Few Janesville residents aren’t at least passingly familiar
with Block 42, the Janesville downtown development
Studer, his wife Rishy Studer, and his daughter Bekki
Kennedy have been working hard to make a reality since
fall 2015. By the time this article goes to press, the
Janesville Business Challenge winner may well be hard
at work making their dream business a reality within Block
42, thanks to $52,000 in funding coupled with multiple
coaching and other supportive services, and the first three
new businesses to call Block 42 home are scheduled to
be up and running October 1. Going into September, the
first 22 employees have already been hired.
Block 42 isn’t the first downtown development project
Studer has undertaken. He and Rishy were an integral part
of the Pensacola, FL, downtown revitalization and are
modeling their approach in Janesville based on that
project’s success. “During my travels, I observed many
cities that were taking steps to be more vibrant. In 2004,
I met the CEO/Chairman of the Gallup Corporation, Jim
Clifton. He mentioned Gallup had just published their
largest study on economic development. The report
examined why some cities grow while others do not, and
the findings were illuminating. In short, a vital downtown
was critical to success,” he said.
Studer points out that the things that make for a thriving
downtown naturally lend themselves to success. For
example, most downtowns build up rather that out, relying
on vertical expansion to grow given limited real estate.
This expands the property tax base significantly and helps
build momentum for continued growth. Ample downtown
entertainment options—from restaurants and bars to
entertainment venues—also attract young talent,
ensuring continued future growth and easing attraction
and retention concerns.
Programming formal downtown entertainment designed
to draw large crowds also helps, he said. “You want to
offer events that bring people downtown so they can see
the difference for themselves. Theaters, sporting events,
concerts, festivals, markets—anything that encourages
visitors to walk through the downtown area. As they pass
the new venues they naturally begin thinking, ‘Yes, I’d like
to go out here and perhaps even live downtown.’ That
experience is important, especially in the early stages.”
A university presence can also be a significant force,
maximizing intellectual capital and shielding cities from
the coming “job war,” where talent attraction and retention
will be at a premium. “Attracting and keeping young
talent, and entrepreneurs, is a recipe for success. Beloit is
a great example. They leveraged private investment—a
key piece if you want to move fast—to transform their
downtown,” Studer said.
Studer and Gallup are not alone in their belief that a
vibrant downtown is reflective of a city’s economic
strength and resilience. Hundreds of non-profit
organizations, like the Downtown Development Center
and the Brookings Institute, fund research and offer
support materials designed help local municipalities plan
for the unique public/private partnership that downtown
development requires.
True transformation, however, doesn’t necessarily come
easily. Staying the course, and maintaining enthusiasm
in the face of detractors, is imperative. Said Studer, “In
Pensacola, people talk about how much has been done in
the last five years, but truly we started 12 years ago.
Things take a long time to hit critical mass. And there are
going to be some people who just don’t understand what
you’re trying to do. Some naysayers will never be
convinced, and that’s just the way it is. I’ve found you need
to focus on those on the fence when building support.
Help educate them about the potential. A city’s downtown
truly is the barometer of future success for any city.” •
• Do MARKET RESEARCH to understand your audience
• Support VERTICAL GROWTH to increase property tax base
• Program downtown EVENTS TO ATTRACT visitors
• MAKE ACCESS EASY—minimize one-way streets, provide easy flow in and out
• LEVERAGE PRIVATE INVESTMENT to complement public resources
• INVOLVE LOCAL EMPLOYERS who will benefit from increased retention
• Invest heavily in MARKETING AND PROMOTION, especially in the early stages
• TOUGHEN UP; not everyone will be on board and that’s okay
BY LAURA BARTEN
is a storefront
renovation project in
downtown Janesville
undertaken by Quint and Rishy
Studer and their daughter
Bekki Kennedy. Located
between 117 and 123 N. Main
Street, the project is
revitalizing some of the oldest
storefront locations in
Janesville.
What is
Block 42?