retailstrategies.com

LAKE CITY, FL

“There should be little debate on whether to renew a 3-year deal with Retail Strategies... Since signing on, we have seen a retail explosion, with nine (9) new ventures directly attributable to this firm’s efforts... The resulting tax revenue estimates at $293,000 - well over three times the cost of the contract.

“This one is a no-brainer.”

OUR OPINION Renew Retail Agreement

Lake City ReporterAla. consultant has brought in

9 new businesses

The exact cause of the commercial boom along the U.S. Highway 90 corridor in Lake City may be hard to pind down, said real estate developer Scott Stewart, but the area is now a hotspot for major retail and restaurant chains. “Something has changed in the environment, I don’t know what it is,” he said. “In the last two years things have changed more than I’ve seen in a long time. What caused that?” A contract... signed three years ago with Retail Strategies, might have helped, Stewart said. Clay Craft said his firm drew in nine businesses that will generate around $293,000 in sales tax revenue per year for the county. Economic Director Glen Hunter said the contract helped bolster the county’s brand in the eyes of major retail chains.

“They brought awareness to our market,” he siad. “For the dollar amount, I think it’s a good value,” he added.