WESTFIELD- The City’s Community Development Department is administering two surveys this month in an attempt to gain more knowledge on the existing behaviors and attitudes towards the downtown Westfield area. The surveys are aimed at both downtown Westfield consumers and business owners, separately, and are being administered online through surveymonkey.com. A paper version of each survey will also be available in the Community Development Department at City Hall, for all who cannot easily access the Internet.
Each survey should take around fifteen minutes and will be composed of a variety of multiple choice and short response questions that will allow participants to demonstrate their attitudes about the downtown area. This electronic study will serve as the City’s preparation step in repurposing a community economic development strategy for the downtown area. The surveys’ results will provide the city with the information needed to assess interest in and goals that might be developed for any organization or partnership that might emerge to represent property owners and businesses, primarily located in the downtown.
“With the dissolution of the BID now behind us and with a greater understanding of the gap that is left behind, I am hopeful business and property owners will provide us with their input relative to programming, services, strengths, and weaknesses they want addressed in the City,” Peter Miller, director of Community Development said. “Concurrently, we’ll be refreshing our six-year old survey of customers and downtown shoppers, and we hope to compare consumer perceptions with those of the business community,” he continued.
The Community Development Department recently completed an analysis of street-level space in the downtown which estimates the vacancy rate at approximately 20 percent.
“One of our primary goals for 2015 is to address that vacancy rate,” Miller said. “It’s clear winter has taken its toll on business, and I hope this effort will help us to re-establish more direct relationships with those who operate small businesses here in town,” he added.
The online link to this survey for the business community is www.surveymonkey.com/s/westfieldbusinesssurvey.
The consumer survey can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/s/westfielddowntownsurvey2015.
To request a paper copy, for more information, or to schedule a one-on-one visit to your place of business, please contact the City of Westfield’s Department of Community Development at (413) 572-6246 or by email at [email protected].
