KINGWOOD – The Blueprint Community Committee is working to attract more businesses to downtown Kingwood.
Kingwood City Clerk Michelle Whetsell, who is also a member of the Blueprint Community Committee, said the committee is holding virtual meetings and discussing ways to make Kingwood more appealing to both the public and to new business prospects.
The committee recently approached city council and ask if it would be the anchor for it.
“Council discussed it and said they would if they were formally asked,” Mayor Jean Guillot said. “It (the Blueprint Community Committee) is a benefit to the city so why not have the city oversee it?”
Guillot said having an anchor would allow the committee to have another entity to manage and oversee its funds. He said Blueprint funds would be kept separate from Kingwood city funds.
Whetsell said despite the pandemic, committee members have been active.
“We’ve been doing some virtual tours of local businesses so people can see what is available,” she said.
Whetsell said one of the sites the committee is considering is the old Schwab’s Drug Store.
“We’ve been working with the owners of the building, and the main floor is ready to be rented out,” she said. Whetsell said featuring the building might encourage someone to put a small business in it.
If the COVID numbers keep dropping we would like to host some events,” she said. “We could build on the street fair and have arts and crafts shows, music, food trucks or a cook off – events families would come to.”
Whetsell said the events could be held once a month, possibly on the second Saturday.
“I’m seeing more traffic in town on the weekends,” she said. “That’s why we need to feature something of interest.”
Whetsell said she is getting a lot of feedback about the March 8 craft show Curtis Stiles is putting together.
“We could have a craft show every weekend and people would come,” she said. She said the city clerk’s office has received calls from both vendors who are coming to sell their crafts at the fair and from the public.
Whetsell said the committee worked on a five-year strategic plan that included rehabilitating buildings, historical signage, showcasing available buildings and pop-up stores.
“Pop-up stores are nice for people who want to see how a business will do,” she said. “They (business owners) can try it for two weeks or two months and see how it will do. I believe there are people out there who have some good ideas.”
Whetsell said prior to the pandemic the committee started a monthly meet-and-eat with members of the business community. She said the meetings allowed the committee to get input from the business community and help them build their customer base.
She said the meet-and-eat events was something the committee hopes to continue once the COVID numbers are low enough and it is safe.
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