A FRESH APPROACH CENTERS DEVELOPERS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES IN THE PATH FORWARD
Appalachia’s downtowns are the beating hearts of our region’s communities and economies.
They’re a place to live, work, shop, visit, convene, and connect. And they’re experiencing a renaissance driven by appreciation for historic buildings, walkable streets, local businesses, and unique culture.
The potential is clear.
But the path to revitalization isn’t. Many of Appalachia’s downtowns need significant redevelopment to achieve their potential.
What’s holding back real estate development in Appalachia’s downtown areas?
What will it take to catalyze revitalization, local ownership, and economic development rooted in our downtowns?
These questions, along with the belief that thriving downtowns are essential to building equitable and enduring regional prosperity, guided the planning process for the Appalachian Downtown Developers Initiative, led by Invest Appalachia and the WV Community Development Hub.
Revitalizing Appalachia’s downtowns doesn’t start with buildings—it starts with people. Specifically, developers who are rooted in place, ready to lead, and able to turn vision into impact.
Through hundreds of conversations involving dozens of regional stakeholders and downtown experts, we found that the key to unlocking the opportunity in Appalachia’s downtowns is in the developers themselves— the organizations, businesses, and agencies that can actually take on the real estate projects, and do them in a way that advances community priorities.
This developer-focused approach to downtown revitalization offers both short-term and long-term benefits, enabling projects to be completed while also creating the permanent capacity for downtown development.
The ADDI Implementation Plan, developed by a coalition of dozens of regional organizations and downtown development experts, offers a strategic roadmap for a comprehensive program that links locally-rooted developers to the resources and support they need along every step of their journey – training, technical assistance, capital solutions, peer mentorship, and more.
