2040 Comprehensive Plan: Envision Shakopee

Increase downtown’s attractiveness as a regional destination By connecting Shakopee’s entertainment corridors—anchored by Canterbury Park and Valleyfair—with downtown, the City can leverage its position as a regional destination and bring visitors to downtown who will in turn spend money at local businesses. These connections can be physical—bike trails, dedicated transit service, wayfinding signs or technologies, and targeted development between these areas, or they can be programmatic—shared events, entertainment initiatives sponsored by existing companies in downtown, and more. More broadly, the City should market its downtown regionally to developers and employers as a key amenity that will be attractive to future residents and employees.

CASE STUDY: THE PLACEMAKING ECONOMY The Lanesboro Arts Campus is an economic and community development initiative transforming the entire small town of Lanesboro, Minnesota. Public-private partnerships and a well engaged community have helped to address important civic challenges such as parking, vacant downtown storefronts, historic preservation, and pedestrian safety. The initiative, which is comprised of buildings that house the arts, art in public spaces, and pedestrian walkways, aims to infuse the arts into the social and municipal infrastructure of the community to attract people to the community. The project has also enabled the historic renovations to the Lanesboro Arts Gallery and the St. Mane Theatre, create an artist residency center, engage the community in a number of educational arts activities, and begin a community-wide conversation about the value of the arts.

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