Civil Municipal - June 2024

employment opportunities, reinforcing its status as a growing hub within the state. MEETING CHALLENGES WITH RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION Despite its thriving community and economic development, Buffalo has faced significant challenges, particularly around local employment and infrastructure shifts. Kelly discusses the relocation of the Wright County Government Center from downtown.This move initially sparked concerns about a potential downturn in local business due to the loss of daily foot traffic. “When they were relocating, there was a genuine concern about losing 300 plus people who would eat, shop, and spend time downtown,” he explains. Surprisingly, this shift did not lead to the business closures anticipated. “Few, if any, business closures have resulted directly from this.With the downtown investments, our business environment has proven to be largely stable and quite resilient,” Kelly observes. He also highlights several initiatives that have bolstered downtown Buffalo’s resiliency and curb appeal. “The HRA’s downtown facade improvement program, offering $7,500 in matching grants, for specific façade updates has been very successful,” he states. Alongside, programs like the local spending campaign and a commercial repair program encourage businesses to invest in maintaining and enhancing their premises, ensuring lively and active downtown streets. Mayor Lachermeier adds perspective on relocating the government center to just outside the city limits, suggesting it could spur further economic development.“Due to the number of employees and the traffic the new campus attracts, it’s going to bring a lot of retail, restaurants, and other services,” she points out. This strategic move will expand Buffalo’s city limits and economic footprint. FUTURE GROWTH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT As Buffalo looks toward the latter half of 2024 and beyond, the city is poised on the cusp of a carefully managed growth trajectory, emphasizing 26 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 06