Business View Magazine - April 2016 47
we’ve seen in cities that have successfully redone
themselves, like Chattanooga and Greenville, South
Carolina, and Durham, North Carolina,” says Wright.
“And while $40 million doesn’t sound like a lot, that’s
equal to a city with a million people and a billion dollar
bond referendum,” he adds.
“We formed a commission of 42 diverse citizens and
they issued their report to our city council, and they
unanimously voted to adopt their recommendations
and proceed on a $35 million plan based on the priori-
ties that the commission set,” Wright continues. “We
started off calling them ‘inspiring spaces.’ Inspire peo-
ple to do something. Inspire people to locate a com-
pany here. Inspire people to move here. Inspire people
to stay here if they thought of moving. Inspire people to
view our community in a little different way.”
When the Bond Implementation Commission present-
ed its completed agenda, it included the following proj-
ects and “inspiring places:”
