Managing commercial districts where multiple properties are controlled by a bevy of different owners is a little bit like herding cats – difficult to say the least. Successful district management is further challenged by absentee owners that are difficult to reach and engage in the commercial revitalization effort. One alternative strategy for commercial revitalization is the ‘single-owner’ model. This is when a one developer begins amassing a critical mass of buildings along a commercial district. This approach allows the owner to manage the area much like a shopping center asset – taking great care with tenant mix, controlling improvements to the public realm, varying leasehold rates to attract and keep a good mix of tenants, and creating and marketing a unique district identity.

This week, the New York Times highlighted New York developer, Greg O’Connell in his efforts to apply this strategy to Mount Morris, New York [Resurrecting a Village by Buying Up Main Street], a rural town in upstate New York. In the case of Mount Morris, O’Connell is following in the well tread footsteps of urban visionaries such as Dana Crawford, who started buying property in downtown Denver in the 1960′s and created Larimer Square. Or Rosyln Hill (pictured right), who is credited with turning Northeast Alberta Street, in Portland, Oregon, around starting in the 1990′s.

» Read more: “One” Approach to Commercial District Revitalization

Media saavy commercial district managers know how to turn their good work into free press. And free press for your district beats paid advertising any day. The Commercial District Advisor turns to Anat Gerstein, of Anat Gerstein Inc., to help us learn how to effectively pitch stories to the press.

Anat’s firm serves the non-profit sector, and she recently moderated a panel discussion on how to get the press to cover your story. Panelists included Fernanda Santos from the New York Times, Beth Fertig from WNYC Radio, Gail Robinson from Gotham Gazette, and Shannon Troetel from NY1 News. The workshop was sponsored by the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee and hosted by the New York Times. Here are some of the do’s and don’ts discussed by the panelists:

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» Read more: The Do’s and Don’ts on Pitching Stories to the Press

Like many commercial districts, Astoria, a tight-knit urban neighborhood in Queens, NY, ["A Small Business Barometer", New York Times, Nov. 8, 2010] is a changing neighborhood. Yesterday’s immigrant residents make room for today’s mix of residents – who often arrive with a different set of spending habits. Helping local businesses ride the wave of change is often part of a commercial district managers job.

Change can be difficult – and the recession has helped speed up the cycle for some businesses who were already facing a shrinking customer base. I sometimes get asked by commercial district managers how they can help existing businesses keep up with these changes in demographics. Part of the answer is helping local businesses keep their finger on the pulse of these changes – which may mean reworking their product mix and repositioning their stores to meet a new segment of growing demographic. Commercial district managers can serve as intermediaries in this effort, sharing important market and demographic information via newsletters and/or regular presentations to business owner’s where critical information and market data can be shared and used to grow retail sales.

Opening new businesses is yet another challenge, made more difficult by some of the very typical problems that businesses face in communities across the nation. Below are some of the challenges cited by business owners in the NYTimes article, coupled with a few suggestions for how commercial district managers might help overcome them.
» Read more: Helping New and Old Businesses Ride the Wave of Neighborhood Change