Page 38 - High Knob Master Plan

Flag Rock and Downtown Norton
NEEDS/GAPS IN GATEWAY COMMUNITIES
Over the past decade, downtown plans have been conducted in several of the gateway communities within the High Knob Region. Each of these community plans came to specific findings for business growth and opportunities within that community.
NORTON DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN – 2016
Norton has a large regional draw and is a commercial magnet for this part of rural Southwest Virginia. Much of this comes from the geographic pull of the Walmart shopping center and its businesses.
A zip code survey of customers showed Norton had customers from 20 unique states.
The retail market study conducted in Norton’s downtown plan showed potential for up to 169,212 square feet of new retail, with opportunities including new restaurants, brew pub or microbrewery, and additional outdoor recreation businesses.
Clinch River in Dungannon
DUNGANNON DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN – 2014
Dungannon had a demand of $17 million for various retail within a fifteen-minute drive time from downtown. However, with such a small population in the trade area, much of this demand was absorbed within a thirty-minute drive (Norton, St. Paul, Gate City).
Most demand was for local needs, such as grocery, general merchandising, and restaurants.
Opportunities included general mercantile-type retail that would appeal to both locals and visitors. Lodging was listed as a need, while improved access to the Clinch River, promotion of river activity, and guide businesses were also needed.
Big Stone Gap Visitor Center
BIG STONE GAP DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN – 2009
At the time of this study, there was $123 million in leakage from Big Stone Gap’s local trade areas.
There was demand for restaurants, local services, and retail such as clothing, hardware, and various specialty retail.
Opportunities for Big Stone Gap include positioning the town as a cultural center, building off of its literary history and destinations such as the Southwest Virginia Museum, the Harry W. Meador Jr. Coal Museum, and Trail of the Lonesome Pine Outdoor Drama. There was also a desire to grow the town’s active recreation resources on the Greenbelt, within its parks, and at Big Cherry Reservoir.
WISE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN – 2008
The Wise study showed that the town had a localized market, but that the Wise/Norton retail cluster was a huge regional draw from the Coalfields of Virginia and Kentucky.
The study showed about 66,000 square feet of demand for new retail space, primarily in the categories of restaurant, hardware, and clothing.
Key opportunities included preserving the vacant Wise Inn, as well as making a stronger connection to UVA Wise as a market. Since the study was completed, the Wise Inn has been fully restored as a boutique hotel, and UVA Wise has expanded with numerous facilities upgrades on its campus.
38 CHAPTER 6: ECONOMICS
HIGH KNOB REGIONAL INITIATIVE