Company to help revitalize Portales downtown

PORTALES — In the day and age of COVID-19 and Amazon, brick and mortar stores — especially local retail outlets — have struggled. And with that, many small towns have struggled as businesses close or move away.

No one knows that like Jim Lucero, the executive director of the Roosevelt County Community Development Corporation (RCCDC). That’s why the non-profit organization has partnered with Retail Strategies, a company based out of Birmingham, Alabama.

The company intends to help Portales with downtown revitalization and retail recruitment to get more businesses back to town.

“They say retail is dead, but it really isn’t, it’s just changed dramatically,” Lucero said. “We’re just gonna try and find our niche and hopefully find some partners that want to invest in our community.”

In a news release, Lucero went into more detail about what he hopes to get out of the partnership.

“RCCDC recognizes the urgent need to equip our community with tools for success,” Lucero said. “Our corporation is centered around supporting and retaining the businesses in Portales and the small business support portion of this new partnership will bring training and other technical resources to business owners in the community.

“We chose Retail Strategies and Downtown Strategies to work in our community, providing a detailed focused on business support, retention, and enhancing our downtown and national retail corridor. They’re really our partners for all things involved in community development.”

The partnership includes a three-year contract. Lucero declined to disclose terms of that contract, saying the funding came from “private investors.”

RCCDC’s website reports its primary funding comes from public entities at the city of Portales, Roosevelt County and Eastern New Mexico University, but that supplemental funding comes from private investors.

Focusing on economic recovery is an essential need for communities right now,” said Lacy Beasley, president of Retail Strategies. “This partnership has a broad reach, providing a plan and execution for national retail recruitment while supporting and focusing on downtown Portales and small businesses throughout the community.

“Portales has unique economic drivers such as the third largest university in the state, (Eastern New Mexico University). The influence of Cannon Air Force Base, dairy farms, peanut exports, and wind energy are all factors that support the retail, restaurant, and hotel businesses.

“RCCDC is taking a holistic approach to economic development by investing in placemaking, and Retail Strategies feels confident in the promising outcomes that will follow.”

Lucero said RCCDC is hoping to bring more specialty shops, big chain stores, and restaurants to the Portales community.

The economic recovery partnership includes quarterly training and other tools for small businesses, a real estate analysis of the businesses located in Portales in order to identify areas of opportunity for regional and national brands expanding in the Southwest, and the creation of a strategic plan for downtown Portales.

“RCCDC is focusing on creating and executing a strategy to bring economic vitality to Portales,” said Jenn Gregory, president of Downtown Strategies. “By implementing a wide range of services, Portales is being proactive in community development and planning. This is an exciting opportunity for Downtown Strategies, and we look forward to providing the RCCDC team with a plan they can implement immediately.”

The Downtown Strategies team will work hand in hand with city leaders to help them understand the downtown area and highlight opportunities for infill. An in-market workshop will be hosted with downtown business owners, merchants, community stakeholders, and elected officials to gain feedback and allow dialogue for development ideas. A customized five-year strategic plan will be developed with specific strategies focused on policy, design, tourism, and catalyst opportunities for downtown Portales.