CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Local leaders this week discussed several ideas on ways to give downtown businesses a needed shot in the arm, from incentives for programming at F&M Bank Arena to a passenger train running between St. Bethlehem and downtown.

At the end of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council (EDC) Executive Committee meeting on Thursday, member Jim Durrett brought up the recent struggles of downtown businesses. “I keep hearing all these struggles about downtown Clarksville,” Durrett said. “And I don’t know what shot in the arm it needs, and I don’t know what organizations maybe could help with it.

“Your downtown is your heartbeat,” he said. “Anything that the EDC through some of their umbrella organizations can do to help that, I think would be greatly appreciated.”

Several ideas came of the non-agenda, brainstorming-style discussion.

1. Incentivizing F&M Bank Arena events

In recent months, there have been community rumblings about a slowdown in events at F&M Bank Arena. However, several more events have been added over the last several weeks.

To help bring in more events, the Aspire Foundation is open to providing financial incentives to artists to “cover the risk” to put on more shows at F&M Bank Arena, EDC CEO Buck Dellinger told the group. Opening the arena for an event with staffing costs about $10,000. If the Aspire Foundation can front that money for several events, they may be able to bring in artists that otherwise might worry they won’t get enough ticket sales.

But the question is whether to wait until the nearby Riverview Square retail development opens. “I’m trying to time that – and I’ll take your feedback on this – do we wait for (Riverview Square) retail to be established, or do we start incentivizing projects now?” Dellinger asked the group. “Do we do it this year, or do we do it a year or 18 months from now?”

“I would not wait,” said committee member Tommy Bates. “Because you have retail that needs help now that’s established, and I don’t know that that retail is going to (be able to wait).”

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Committee member John Rudolph pointed out that if things go well with the investment, there could be more funding sources later to provide further investment.

2. ‘Retail follows rooftops’

Dellinger and others repeated a concept that’s well understood: Restaurants, shops and other businesses thrive on having people living nearby, and in Clarksville, there are more opportunities arising for much-needed houses, townhouses and apartments downtown.

“Retail follows rooftops, and so we’ve stood on our head to get different multifamily approved downtown,” Dellinger said. “It’s our goal to get 1,000 multifamily units built in the next five years.”

Among them, Austin Peay State University is planning new student housing on the other side of College Street, he said. There are also major residential projects in the works from Leo Millan, Jennifer Willoughby, the Vulcan property, Third and Main, and the Conwood snuff plant property.

3. Making deal on Vulcan property

The 30-acre former Vulcan plant property along College Street is for sale by private owners, and multiple developers have made offers, but none so far have been accepted. Meanwhile, the EDC has secured a $500,000 grant for environmental remediation, but a sale has to go through for the funds to be released. Now, there’s some pressure on the EDC to either use the grant or turn it down, but it has to have a developer to proceed.

Developing the Vulcan site would help in improving the Frosty Morn site next door, Dellinger said. If the sale goes through, “there’s a lot of dominos that could be pushed over in our downtown area. Developers are ready to come for that specific property.”

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4. CBID support needed

Dellinger pointed out that for several years now, the EDC has been designated by the City of Clarksville to manage the Central Business Improvement District (CBID), and that’s a key tool in the EDC toolbox for downtown redevelopment. “However, the city won’t fund it,” he said. “We’re striking out with the city on getting help for some of these activities downtown.”

Montgomery County Government also has the authority to create a CBID downtown, Dellinger said, suggesting that the county could support funding for a new CBID, effectively replacing what the city has walked away from.

5. Promotion of new downtown parking

In the last year, two parking garages have opened downtown – the First Street Parking Garage and the Millan Public Parking Garage – bringing an additional 1,100 parking spaces. But people continue to complain about parking, Durrett said.

Parking is free across downtown after 5 p.m. daily, and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Also, two-hour parking is free all day through the ParkMobile app.

“I guess it’s going to take some people standing out on the streets like they do in Nashville, waving a flag saying ‘Park here’ when we have a big event – I don’t get it,” Durrett said.

6. Passenger train to St. B

For several years, there’s been discussion of a possible passenger train into downtown, and Durrett asked if that’s still on the table.

The idea is that a passenger train – or “event train” – could run on the existing R.J. Corman rail line between downtown and St. Bethlehem, providing an easy way for people to travel into downtown, and an easy way for people downtown to visit St. B locations such as Beachaven Vineyards & Winery, Old Glory Distilling Co. and the planned convention center and office park.

“That could be an attraction. … How do you distinguish yourself from other peer cities?” Dellinger said. “If the political support could get behind a vision like that, we could get ‘er done.”

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