Bessemer Gameplan moves one step closer to becoming a reality.
On Monday, April 22, Bessemer residents and business owners gathered to share their hopes and fears for the city’s future. Three days and hours of effort later, the Bessemer Gameplan project team responded with a room full of ideas for community review.
To say the reaction was positive would be an understatement.
“I’m impressed with the concept of looking at our city,” declared resident Bernadette Davis, “because, heretofore, we haven’t had any of these types of conversations. We just felt like ‘this is Bessemer and nothing is going to change.’ So I’m in here feeling hopeful and feeling inspired.”
One Step at a Time
In 2020, Bessemer released Vision 2040, a broad summary of the city’s "vision, mission, values, strategic areas of focus, and specific goals" for the next 20 years. Gameplan for Growth, the comprehensive planning initiative now underway, is a follow up to that effort: taking the what of Vision 2040 and developing the policies and actions that can bring it to life, from transportation and future growth policy to infrastructure, public services, and preservation.
Participants in Thursday’s meeting discovered an array of ideas and proposals on display addressing all of these areas, each with a member of the project team standing by to explain concepts, gather feedback, and field questions.
Designer Marques King talks attendees through a proposed process of neighborhood revitalization.
Some of the proposals on display at Thursday's open house, focusing on how downtown can be revitalized incrementally.
Many commented on the volume of work and on the need for additional time to review and consider afterwards. Those residents, as well as those unable to attend, can now download and review the displays in detail below:
Among the most popular ideas presented was that of the "shop shack," low cost, simple buildings clustered together, allowing entrepreneurs with big dreams and small budgets to open and test their businesses before committing to more extensive start up and build out costs.
Lowering barriers to entry to leverage the collective creativity of the community is something the city can realistically accomplish — even in the face of limited resources on both sides of the equation.
"This is great," beamed local business owner Amy Mims. "To have a small space that's actually affordable? I love that."
The "shop shack," an effective model for incubating small businesses.
Everyone Plays a Part
Carol Smith, a Bessemer resident, reflected on how, at the end of the day, the revitalization that she and her neighbors would like to see is ultimately subject to the work of many hands.
“If you don’t improve what you have or if it looks forsaken,” she said, “it will be difficult getting someone to come in to invest in it and to buy into what you’re doing.”
Or, said another way, the plan is only where things start. It’s incumbent on the community and its leadership to take it forward, step by step.
Stay tuned for updates in the coming months.