A THRIVING DOWNTOWN RESURGENCE Once filled with boarded-up storefronts, Superior’s downtown is breathing new life into its streets. At the heart of this is the creation of communityoriented spaces, including a downtown stage and amphitheater, which hosts a variety of events throughout the year. A Farmer’s Market food court has also been established, providing a space for foodbased entrepreneurs to showcase their offerings, and to support the downtown events and festivals. Beautification efforts are also underway, with the replacement of planters with shade trees, meeting sustainability and walkability needs. “We’re really seeing our downtown come back to life in a very meaningful and strategic way, but we try not to get too wrapped up in plans that we can’t necessarily afford. So, we’re very cautious regarding what we can do with the budget that we have,” says Mayor Besich. The launch of the “Adventure Elevated” tourism and promotional brand in 2020 has been at the forefront of this downtown resurgence, the mayor stresses. “That brand launched and really set us apart to say, ‘Superior is a great place to visit’. We continue to expand our festivals, events and activities because of the rise in the number of visitors our marketing has generated.” The town has also embarked on a cooperative marketing program with the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Rebuild Superior, Superior Chamber of Commerce, and corporate partners, BHP Mining and Resolution Copper Mining. “This collaboration has helped us to augment our marketing budget and leverage our collective strengths so that we can continue to promote our community,” she emphasizes. REBUILD SUPERIOR A key element of the town’s revitalization efforts is Rebuild Superior, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to economic development and improving quality of life for residents.The organization adopts a bottom-up approach, addressing everything from food insecurity through the local food bank to job skills training and entrepreneurial support. “The community needed a nonprofit partner to target opportunities and obtain funding to support our 225 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 12 SUPERIOR, AZ
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