MARKET REALITY WILL DRIVE COVINGTON REVITALIZATION PLAN

by Michael Monks 
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EXCLUSIVE

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More was learned today about Covington's Center City Action Plan, the latest effort to revitalize the city's urban core. Denver-based Progressive Urban Management Associates (PUMA) was back in town for the fifth time and this time brought results from a community survey about hopes and challenges in Downtown Covington as well as results from their own studies. "Covington has had a lot of plans out there but never have you looked at how the Center City can work together," said Brad Segal, President of PUMA. The CCAP is Covington's twentieth urban core-oriented plan since 2000. 

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This current plan promises to build on the work of the previous ones as sort of a "plan of plans". "This is a market-based look at how Covington can best attract and retain jobs," Segal said. Covington was one of forty-two cities nationally that qualified for a federal grant from the Department of Housing & Urban Development which is funding the CCAP study. "We've spent a lot of time trying to understand the community, the economics, and the demographics," Segal said. "We're trying to base everything in market reality."

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The area included in the plan is Covington's urban core north of 13th Street which special emphasis on the Madison corridor, Mainstrasse, and the riverfront. "Now is the time to strengthen our strengths and attract more business to the areas that are working and work to connect them," Segal said.

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Among PUMA's findings presented Wednesday afternoon include assets such as low rent costs and challenges like the low number of retail establishments. PUMA inventoried Covington's retail in the study area and found 168 total businesses, of which 74 were restaurants while only 17 were related to clothing & accessories. That stat correlates to results from the community survey commissioned by PUMA that garnered 760 responses. When asked what should be the top priority for Downtown, the top response was more shopping opportunities and more restaurants. Only 31% responded that they visit Downtown specifically to shop. 

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Those who participated in the survey were also asked to choose three words that best describe Covington. Interestingly, despite the acknowledged lack of retail and shopping options, the top word was 'vibrant'. Other top words were diverse, safe, clean, and friendly. Additionally, while parking was cited as a concern by 33% of respondents, it was nearly last on the list of priorities by those same people. 

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PUMA reports that the low rent and Covington's historic ambiance are great strengths as people return to cities and that the city could capitalize on the nearly half million people annually that visit Mainstrasse, the Convention Center, and the Kenton County Public Library. "A lot of this is in alignment with the mayor (and his 10-point plan for revitalization) so maybe there's a window of time where things can connect," Segal said. 

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PUMA will return to Covington in mid-March for further presentations and open house opportunities for the public.

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MORE ON THE PUMA VISIT IS STILL TO COME, INCLUDING HOW A BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT WOULD WORK HERE, HOW MUCH MONEY IT COULD BRING IN, AND WHO PAYS FOR IT. PLUS, MORE FACTS ABOUT COVINGTON THAT MAY SURPRISE EVEN US!