King, Eric2016-03-292016-03-292015https://hdl.handle.net/11299/178545In 2015 the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization (CNO) began working on developing strategies and methods for cultivating a thriving Corcoran business environment that is supportive and responsive to local resident’s needs in accordance with the CNO Strategic Plan adopted in 2012. Following the key highlights of this strategic plan, CNO has been undertaking efforts to build staff capacity in an attempt to both “strengthen the diverse richness of the area through place-making and the engagement of people,” and “pursue and strengthen partnerships to better serve the community.” As a part of these efforts, a thorough demographic background analysis, retail analysis, and administration of a variety of public surveys were conducted to provide the organization with current and relevant information to assist with these capacity-building activities while strategies are developed to cultivate a thriving Corcoran business environment. The proposed developments occurring within close proximity to the Hiawatha & Lake LRT Station - where housing, retail, and population densities will all be dramatically increasing in the future - has also served as a catalyst for opening discussions and changing both perceptions and reality regarding the future business landscape of the Corcoran neighborhood. The social and economic diversity of the neighborhood creates a need to preserve a culturally diverse business environment, though the constant stream of high business-ownership turnover and vacant storefronts has been a constant challenge for the neighborhood in maintaining a stable business environment. This research paper highlights the key findings regarding the demographic background and spending habits of residents living in the Corcoran neighborhood, provides an overview of the current business landscape, and briefly discusses results from the surveys administered.enReport