Downtown Prior Lake
Creating a Greater Experience

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BACKGROUND
Downtown is often the first impression people have of a community and often it’s heart and soul. It is imperative that Prior Lake downtown businesses, its residents, and visitors have a positive experience.

The combination of a centralized downtown and contiguous Lakefront Park makes downtown Prior Lake a high interest area to support, develop and grow.

GOAL 
Make Prior Lake downtown a destination of choice for; having a business, visitors to shop, entertainment and recreation, and a place to live. ​

OBJECTIVE​
With a well designed plan, excitement in the area will grow solidifying existing business relations, fill existing vacancies, and attract developer interest. 

​STRATEGIES​
The relationship between downtown and the surrounding community will be cultivated through orchestrated efforts. Activity will be focused on:

• Creating high-value partnerships with key stakeholders;

           -   City of Prior Lake (Management, EDA & EDAC)
           -   Prior Lake Downtown Business Association 
           -   Farmer's Market...

• Improving parking.
• Beautifying Mainstreet and the downtown area.
• Integration of community and neighboring special events and attractions.

          -   Leverage Lakefront Park as a natural asset and major draw.

• ​Securing downtown as an employment center.

IDEATION (pro bono)

INSIGHTS
​INNOVATE
IMPACT

The above examples are concepts only (developed ideas) to stimulate discussion around special events to heighten awareness, generate buzz and drive incremental traffic to downtown Prior Lake. These ideas range from the easy-to-execute to the improbable. Many off-the-shelf proven events are also available, but were not presented here.

Tamarack Consulting Group, Llc. was later asked to lead a team of Prior Lake High School  MNCAPS  (Minnesota Center for Advanced Professional Studies) to conduct discovery, recommend and present marketing concepts to promote the City's top destinations and businesses to increase guest traffic and spending. MNCAPS reported this assignment was the program's top campaign of the year.

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