Downtown Sulphur Springs, TX

Sulphur Springs boasts one of the most successful downtowns in the East Texas region, featuring several retail shops, over a dozen restaurants, and a heavily-programmed public square. The City realized it would need to take fresh approaches to address the unprecedented challenges that COVID-19 posed to the downtown’s business ecosystem—and, by extension, to decades of work revitalizing the district.

In response to this crisis, Ash+Lime developed a tailored Downtown Small Business Assessment for Sulphur Springs. Our process included assessing spending trends, conducting interviews with city leaders and local business leaders, and brainstorming with local small business/economic development organizations. 

Based on this research and outreach, Ash+Lime outlined four pillars of support for downtown Sulphur Springs: Consulting and Training; Relevant Marketing; Space Activation; and Organization and Communication. These recommendations were geared towards creating cohesiveness between business, district-scale organizations, and the local government. 

Ash+Lime’s recommendations included creating parklets to activate downtown spaces, implementing an interactive mural program, educational dining, and planning for enhanced connectivity north of the downtown region. In addition, the firm created tailored recommendations regarding areas of focus for the Downtown Business Alliance. One key relationship forged during this research was the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a federally-funded organization which offered substantial support for local businesses. 

SMALL BUSINESS ASSESSMENT

2021