Local entrepreneur offers to fund independent study by the nonprofit group Strong Towns.
HALTOM CITY, TX, July 05, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ — While leadership has been focused on growth and development in newer areas of Haltom City, the older south and central neighborhoods have been left in an ongoing spiral of decline. Residents and business owners alike have been calling attention to the problem for years, yet little has been done to help.
In 2021, a coalition of small business owners came together to form the Haltom United Business Alliance (HUBA) in order to represent local businesses and offer suggestions to local officials an effort to bring much-needed attention to the issue. According to HUBA, a strategic concept plan is desperately needed if the city has any hope of turning things around. The group has repeatedly offered common sense ideas and suggestions to the City Council and has suggested that the city first focus on main corridors such as Denton Highway, Carson, NE 28th Street and Belknap where commercial vacancies abound.
Frustrated by the city’s lack of action, HUBA co-founder Ron Sturgeon is currently offering up to $100,000 of his own money to the city to have a study done by the nonprofit group Strong Towns. Strong Towns is an American nonprofit dedicated to helping cities across the country to become financially strong and resilient. The objectives of Strong Towns are as follows: “We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. We work to elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments.”
Said Sturgeon, “Over the past few years, it has become clear that the city is unwilling to listen to proposals from the business community. But maybe the city would be more willing to listen to independent experts. Strong Towns could assess the situation in the older south and central areas of the city, identify barriers to progress, and submit a plan designed to guide the city in adopting strategies to help spur revitalization in those areas.”
It is Ron’s hope that the City Council will recognize the urgent need for action, accept his generous offer to underwrite the cost for the city to hire Strong Towns, and work collaboratively with stakeholders to get things done. “Without a plan, nothing is going to change. So if YOU want to see the older areas of Haltom City revitalized, make your voice heard! Contact city leadership. Tell them to accept the offer to work with the experts at Strong Towns. The time for action is now.”
About Haltom United Business Alliance
Haltom United Business Alliance (HUBA) wants to give members of Haltom City’s business community an advocate and to keep those businesses informed about issues that affect them. They want to make sure Haltom City is business friendly and nurtures small business growth, including automotive businesses in the industrial districts, and bring more restaurants including breweries and eventually a major grocery store to the city. New businesses and growth in existing businesses will create a stronger tax base which will allow the city to pay its first responders wages that are competitive with surrounding cities while improving Haltom City’s facilities and infrastructure. HUBA believes that the southern and central parts of the city need a revitalization plan, to prevent further degradation in those areas, and wants that to happen before the inner-city experiences increased crime and more blight. As retail and office uses are in decline, it’s more critical than ever to attract new businesses. They believe that such a plan requires a strong relationship and support of the business community. Anyone who owns a business in Haltom City is eligible to join HUBA. Dues are $20 annually or $50 for a lifetime membership, and membership is 100% confidential. To join, contact Joe Palmer at (682) 310-0591 or by email at HUBAgrp@gmail.com. Visit the group’s Facebook at Haltom United Business Alliance.
About Strong Towns
Strong Towns, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media advocacy organization, is dedicated to help American cities become financially strong and resilient. As written in their mission statement, “We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. We work to elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments.” An interview with group founder Charles Marohn that is said to be a great way to introduce someone new to Strong Towns can be viewed on the website of Thesis Driven as part of their Thesis Driven Leader Series. Check it out if you get the chance: Author Charles Marohn on How to Fix Cities.
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