Business View Civil Municipal June 2023

147 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 Economic Development Authority, elaborates, “They have current plans for five training programs they will offer out of that facility, and that is where Ranken works directly with TG Missouri, Glister-Mary Lee, and other local companies to train their workforce.” Perryville also offers a range of other educational opportunities to its residents, such as the Perry County School District’s Career and Technology Center, which provides short-term training programs to address local employment needs. Additionally, the city is home to a satellite campus of Mineral Area College and offers classes through Central Methodist University, while Southeast Missouri State University, a four-year university, is conveniently located just 30 miles to the south. On the subject of business attraction, Jones says there is a definite need for more retail and restaurants. She admits, “We’ve actually had several retail developers reach out to us looking for land. Locating the right outside developers has been a limiting factor here, as PERRYVI LLE , MISSOURI there are plenty of commercial real estate opportunities.” In support of its local small businesses, Perryville has made significant efforts to develop and revitalize the downtown area, creating a thriving city core. “A lot of rural communities our size, we’re less than 10,000 in population, they still struggle with downtown revitalization, but ours has really been revitalized quite nicely,” Jones portrays. To encourage façade improvements and beautification, the city offers grants and