Realize Bradenton – Downtown Bradenton Market Analysis

DECEMBER 2020 COMPLETED REPORT

Kennedy Smith of the CLUE Group completed the Downtown Bradenton Market Analysis in December 2020.

Full Downtown Bradenton Market Analysis Report Download

Recommendations from the Downtown Bradenton Market Analysis:

Focus particular attention on two key market development strategies: Making downtown Bradenton a great neighborhood. Making downtown Bradenton a regional destination for creative industries.
Develop a small-area plan for downtown Bradenton that corrects the errors of the past several decades.
Use the small storefronts attached to the parking garage as an active incubator for high-priority retail businesses.
Activate storefront windows and street-level facades to encourage movement throughout the district.
Create an entity, or a function within an existing entity, dedicated to downtown business development.
Reactivate the Municipal Auditorium as a performance space.

Recording of Kennedy Smith sharing the completed report on February 19, 2021.

SPRING 2020 UPDATE

The purpose of the video is to summarize responses from people who expressed interest in the Market Analysis, many of whom participated in a May 7 webinar that shared preliminary results.

Below is a PDF link to more detailed results from the follow-up survey, including graphs, charts, and comments sorted by sections.

Results from Market Analysis Follow-Up Survey

Work continues with CLUE Group on the Market Analysis Report for Downtown Bradenton. If you have any ideas, questions, see contact info at the bottom of this page.

With so much going on right now, thank you for staying tuned in to this project as it sets the stage for important recovery efforts and long-term progress.

BACKGROUND

In the fall of 2019, Realize Bradenton together with partners City of Bradenton and the Manatee Chamber of Commerce engaged Kennedy Smith of the Community Land Use + Economics (CLUE) Group to conduct a market analysis for downtown Bradenton and to recommend strategies for strengthening the district’s retail/commercial/culinary composition, with particular attention on cultivating young entrepreneurial talent.

When this initiative began, COVID-19 was unknown. CLUE Group conducted market research just a few months before the pandemic began to unfold. While it is difficult to know what the mid- and long-range impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will be on downtowns throughout the country and around the world, it is clear that the retail, hospitality, and culinary landscape will be changed.

WEBINAR RECORDING

Rather than producing a comprehensive market analysis report based on downtown Bradenton’s pre-pandemic conditions, CLUE summarized some of the major findings from the market research in the May 7 presentation.

The May 7 presentation outlines eight recommendations. Here is a sampling of four:

There will be a huge groundswell of support for locally owned businesses.
Young entrepreneurial talent will be crucial to economic recovery.
Make downtown Bradenton a great neighborhood.
Make downtown Bradenton a regional destination for creative industries.

This important study was funded by the Knight Donor Advised Fund at the Manatee Community Foundation.

Interested in learning more? Contact Jodi Carroll at Realize Bradenton manager@realizebradenton.com.