Brainerd Chamber, Destination Downtown Look To Keep Momentum Going After Contest Ends

Downtown Brainerd business owners and community leaders gathered over breakfast Tuesday morning to discuss a topic often on the minds of people in the Brainerd area, the future of downtown.

The downtown Brainerd Input & Ideas breakfast was put on my the Destination Downtown Coalition and the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce. This is the last year that the Destination Downtown contest is being held, which grants an area entrepreneur a prize package to be able to start their business in the downtown area. The committee wants to ensure that the momentum for the revitalization of downtown Brainerd continues even after the contest has ended.

“We are going to keep that momentum going and continue to grow. We’re looking for coordinated efforts between different organizations and business owners to keep that going, fill up those storefronts,” said Brenda Billman-Arndt, Destination Downtown Coalition member and owner of the Purple Fern Bath Company.

“We had a lot of ideas that were discussed, a lot of great energy today and we’re all committed to moving forward,” added Matt Kilian, Brainerd Lakes Chamber President. “That’s the best part.”

The group says that the next step is for the board to take the ideas that were generated at the breakfast and make an action plan. They then hope to recruit volunteers who can help turn the ideas into reality.