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Page 117 <br />Other Recommendations <br />Support Local$ <br />Small local businesses not only help build community wealth but also play a formative role in <br />shaping the city's identity and preserving character. The City of Ramsey has an opportunity to <br />redefine retail for the community. Through policy, financial incentives, and development <br />requirements, the City of Ramsey can create lower -risk, and lower -cost opportunities for <br />entrepreneurs to utilize physical assets and human capital unique to Ramsey while promoting <br />retail growth in the community. Particularly for the COR, the City can require future housing or <br />large-scale commercial development to reserve a potion of their space for small storefronts or <br />locally owned businesses as a condition of permitting construction. Due to financial incentives <br />for large chains, and fiscal barriers for start-ups, this conditional change can promoting the <br />importance of small businesses can help encourage local vendors without turning away private <br />investments. <br />Economic development incentives and access to capital typically favor national chains and large <br />retailers. These types of development are absolutely important and necessary to Ramsey and <br />its success. However expansion of incentives for local entrepreneurs not only provides a <br />needed businesses to the community, it means an investment in the residents of Ramsey for <br />years to come. Encouraging locals to engage with the Anoka County Chamber of Commerce, or <br />one of Minnesota's nine Small Business Development Centers can help citizens turn dreams of <br />owning a small business into a reality and provide a retail opportunity all can enjoy. <br />Zoning in Ramsey is already quite flexible and inclusive, and should remain so. It is important <br />that the City and it's zoning code continues to encourage and support multi -story, pedestrian - <br />oriented districts that include a mix of small and large commercial spaces, and that preserve <br />historic buildings, over the production of strip malls and sparsely developed areas. Nodes that <br />include a variety of vendors in a centralized location, promoting a family -friendly and walkable <br />opportunity for residents to shop for many needs at once, creating a retail destination provide <br />ample opportunities for resident satisfaction and economic success. <br />Ask for Input9 <br />To successfully develop the retail economy, Ramsey must engage residents, business owners, <br />and other stakeholders to collectively develop a vision for future. Stakeholder engagement helps <br />ensure that plans reflect the community's desires, needs, and goals and generates public <br />support that can maintain momentum for sustainability implementing changes and remain <br />resilient for the future. Community designed goals with supported plans encourages local action <br />8 Institute for Self Reliance, 8 Policy Strategies Cities Can Use to Support Local Businesses; <br />https.//ilsr. org/8-policy-stra tegies-cities-can-use-to-support-local-businesses/ <br />9 U.S.EPA Office of Sustainable Communities, How Small Towns and Cities can use Local Assets to <br />Rebuild their Economies: Lessons from Successful Places; <br />https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015- <br />05/documents/competitive_advantage_051215_508_final.pdf <br />