City gets report on Vegas sales trip
By Joey Berlin
Originally published 01:08 p.m., May 22, 2008
Updated 01:08 p.m., May 22, 2008
Lots of people met and connections made — City Commissioner Jim Kessler’s impression of the Global Retail Real Estate Convention in Las Vegas boiled down to those two things.
At the end of Wednesday’s city commission action meeting, Kessler and fellow Commissioner Jeff Longbine gave their impressions of the International Council of Shopping Centers’ annual gathering. The two attended the convention earlier this week as representatives of Emporia along with City Manager Matt Zimmerman and Kent Heermann, president of the Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas. Kessler and Longbine returned before the convention’s end on Wednesday; Zimmerman, who was staying in Las Vegas until the end of the convention, missed Wednesday night’s meeting.
Among leaders, retail representatives and developers, the convention draws more than 50,000 people each year. Kessler described the event as “overwhelming.” He said most of the attendees were developers, and the city leaders had a chance to talk to some who had shown an interest in Emporia in the past, as well as those who might be interested in the city in the future.
“It was just amazing, the amount of representatives that each one of these places had,” he said.
Kessler said the convention showed that communities have recognized that issues like sales tax and quality of life are important, and that all factors affect each other.
“The thing I think I learned right off the bat is that Emporia, Kansas, is not the only place in the U.S. seeking retail development,” he said.
Buxton, the customer analytics firm that performed a retail development study of Emporia earlier this year, reserved a spot for the city at its convention booth as part of Buxton’s “lifetime partnership” with the city, which was included in the $70,000 cost of the study.
Longbine said each retailer at the convention had information sheets available so interested parties could study data related to that retailer, such as income and demographic numbers. Longbine said that data can be matched with the results of the Buxton study to give the city a look at what retailers can be a good fit for Emporia.
“We learned a little bit more about how the game’s played and how you get in the game, and I think it was a very valuable four days, I really do,” he said.
Kessler and Longbine credited Heermann for his work in preparing the city for the convention, including setting up appointments with interested developers and retailers. Kessler acknowledged that it might be several years before the Buxton study and connections made at the convention bear fruit for the city.
“I think it’s gonna take time,” Kessler said, “but I think we at least have a plan. We’re a little bit organized now, which we couldn’t have said a few years back.”
In action taken Wednesday commissioners:
• Approved the rezoning of the Emporia school administration building at 501 Merchant Street from P, Public District, to C4, Central Business District. Triad Investment Group requested the rezoning so it could buy the building and use it for office space. Triad plans only light remodeling to the building to define the office space. The school district will retain the parking lots on Constitution Street, west of the building, for faculty parking.
• Appointed Dan McClenny and Mary Ann Law to the Human Relations Commission for three-year terms that expire May 1, 2011. McClenny and Law were chosen from five applicants.
• Reappointed Brad Kraft as the city’s appointee to the Flint Hills Technical College board of trustees for a second four-year term.