Community Project Ideas SessionJuly 22, 2014

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Tonight’s Objectives

1. Exciting updates from community leaders

2. Hoosick Rising Overview & Community SWOT

3. Work-Session: Project Ideas

4. Next Steps

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Tonight is about exchanging information and ideas to

keep Hoosick Rising.

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What is Hoosick Rising?

Economic Development & Marketing Strategy:

1. Identifying and organizing project ideas into a realistic, implementable plan to achieve goals:

o Increase visitation/tourism

o Attract new residents

o Grow businesses

o Continue momentum

o Boost quality of life and place

2. Get more people involved in community development

What are Hoosick’s top strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats?

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Hoosick Strengths

• Small town living

• Private investment by community-minded entrepreneurs

• Schools and youth programs

• Historic and natural resources

• Hoosick Rising

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Hoosick Weaknesses

• Population decline

• Disinvestment in built environment

• Proximity to large markets

- Small labor pool

- Limited consumer demand

• Limited collaboration/communication between local businesses

• No higher education institution

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Hoosick Weaknesses

• Population decline

• Disinvestment in built environment

• Proximity to large markets

- Small labor pool

- Limited consumer demand

• Limited collaboration/communication between local businesses

• No higher education institution

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Hoosick Opportunities

• Regional partnerships

• Growing artist/entrepreneurial environment regionally

• Trend back to urban-small city living

• Agriculture/Farm-to-table/Sustainable Food

- Various Ag Initiatives

- Made in NY movement

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Hoosick Threats

• Growing tax burden on residential properties

• Loss of large employer

• Aging population

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Tonight’s Discussion Topics

• Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development: Opportunities for networking and fostering makers/creators

• Built Environment: Downtown, Residential, commercial, public spaces and places.

• Marketing the Region for Tourism/Visitation/Recreation

• Historic and Natural Resources: Access and Quality

• Education and Workforce: Youth through retirement

• Thinking beyond Hoosick's borders: Opportunities to partner with Route 22 Corridor communities

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Group Worksheets

1) Take 15-minutes and fill out SWOT boxes

2) Use the SWOT discussion to brainstorm projects and initiatives for remaining 30 minutes

Project-Based Approach Example

Inform regional markets about

the great things happening in

Hoosick

Web-presence

Community Business Card

Social Media Advocates

Initiative

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Let’s Get to Work!

Group Discussion Questions:

a) What ideas, projects, or initiatives might be considered in this top topic area that would improve the economy of the Hoosick Community?

b) How would this project help the community?

c) Who should be at the table in designing and implementing projects and initiatives? If we don’t know “names”, what skills are needed?

d) What other information might you need to help design this initiative/project?

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Your August to-to list:

• Invite 5 new people to the next meeting

• Get Social: Talk, Tweet, Post about Hoosick Rising

• Send us your and other’s great ideas

Next Meeting:

• September – Date TBD

• Refine project ideas, identify priorities

Sooo….What’s Next?