March 19, 2024

Newton Main Street seeks citizen input

A Downtown Newton Market Study survey is being conducted by Newton Main Street to assess current conditions and identify potential business retention, expansion and recruitment opportunities in the downtown business district.

Citizens have the opportunity to voice their opinion by taking an online consumer survey from now until April 17 at www.surveymonkey.com/r/Newton_OnlineConsumerSurvey.

“We are actively seeking input from all sectors of the community,” project team leader Don Poynter said. “We’ll be asking questions about visitor’s impressions and opinions of the downtown area, which will help us determine where to focus our development efforts.”

Questions include how far away participants live and work from downtown and how often the participant frequents downtown for errands or eating, drinking and/or entertainment. It also asks what sources of information participants use for new and information including print, social and online media. It also has open questions to fill in about any improvements to the downtown and what is the best part of the downtown.

Volunteers will also be surveying downtown consumers and business owner or managers beginning the week of April 6. High traffic, peak hours will be targeted by the volunteers with a goal of more than 200 surveys completed from those in the downtown area. All surveys, online and in person, are completely confidential.

“We have data from several sources that we’re reviewing now,” Poynter said. “It’s good, important information. But the surveys are specific to the Newton Main Street District and will provide deeper insight.”

The project is in its initial discovery phase, which includes collection and review of demographic and economic data.

“The goal for us is to start to identify some strategies for business retention, expansion and recruitment and also marketing strategies for downtown. We have a ton of data and this will help us to make sense of the data,” Newton Main Street Director Andrew Bassman said. “We want to really start to get customer preferences and find out what they like and don’t like and use that information to craft a well thought out business development strategy.”

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com