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The first task of the public/private partnership is to <br />make sure that the vision is shared. Property own- <br />ers, residents, and nontraditional neighborhood <br />anchors, such as churches, colleges, and hospitals, <br />must buy in because they have the most at stake. <br />These players have a strong vested interest in the neighborhood environment <br />because their success depends in part on desirability of their surroundings. Large <br />employers should be actively recruited because they have important resources that <br />can be brought to bear. <br />Do not allow the rebuilding process to be "hijacked" by any one group or <br />individual —even the residents. It is only natural that stakeholders have agen- <br />das; bringing these agendas into the open and aligning them are critical. <br />Create momentum for the vision by assigning specific <br />roles to each stakeholder and getting them to buy in to <br />the plan. Getting stakeholders monetarily involved in the <br />process may help to ensure their continued involvement <br />and support. <br />Identify negative influences that are hindering the <br />redevelopment effort and neutralize or eliminate them as <br />soon as possible; they could be a person, a building, or a <br />neighborhood condition. <br />Create an identity for the street that is inventive and <br />reflects the neighborhood. Some neighborhood streets are <br />already place -specific and have identities that can be <br />reinforced or enhanced. In other cases, the identity is <br />either nonexistent or negative —in which case, changing the perceived identity <br />(or overcoming the nonidentity) will be one of the biggest challenges. <br />Adapt the retail environment to serve and enhance the surrounding neighbor- <br />hood. Serving a broader trade area may be important, but will usually be a sec- <br />ondary goal. <br />Recognize that nearby competition not only will dramatically affect the mar- <br />ket for your street, but will also affect the vision you have for its future. <br />Hire a leasing professional from day one to coordinate management and <br />recruitment of retail tenants. Recognize that retailers will "vote" on the sound- <br />ness of the redevelopment's vision by deciding whether to rent or not. <br />Visioning will help create and enhance <br />an identity for the street that reflects the <br />neighborhood. <br />M Street, Washington, D.C. <br />5 <br />