VISION

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VISION 👁

MISSION

To cast a vision and develop strategies for the benefit of Greenville's future success. 

ORGANIZATION

There are 5 sub-committees, each with at least on representative on the joint steering committee.

  1. Residential Neighborhoods

  2. Commercial Blocks/Downtown

  3. Recreation, Arts & Entertainment

  4. Economic Development

  5. Organizations & Institutions 

OBJECTIVES

  1. Cast a vision for Greenville. 

  2. Answer questions like:

    • Who/What are we now as a community?

    • Who/What do we want our community to look like in 20 years?

    • What is our community identity? (Defining who we are and/or who we want to be.)

    • What are our strengths we can leverage to get where we want to be?

    • What are our weaknesses that are hindering our growth and success?

    • Why do people leave Greenville?

    • Why do people stay?

    • What are other communities doing to promote growth?

  3. Inspire the community to action.

WHY DO YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN GREENVILLE?

“In a word: potential. Greenville is a place that has the potential to be so much more than it currently is. Everywhere you look, there’s work to be done, and for someone who likes to problem-solve and dream for the future, this is a place where you will always have something to do if you choose to be involved.”
— Rev. Sean Hall, Council Member

IN SMALL TOWNS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

If community development – compared with economic development – is generally considered to include a broader set of activities aimed at building the capacity of a community, then these case studies demonstrate that capacity-building and other strategies typically associated with community development are analogous with actions designed to produce economic outcomes. This is especially true, it seems, when these efforts are included as parts of a comprehensive package of strategies designed to address a community’s core challenges and opportunities. → read more

Greenville faces many problems that are not entirely unique to this community. Many communities, of various sizes and cultural make-ups, are dealing with the same fundamental issues. Greenville's solutions, however, will need to be unique to serve it's specific purpose and vision. An article titled Face it, Erie: It's up to us gives some insight into the necessary perspective in achieving a new and better Greenville community. 

The Process

  • Review and assess previous plans:
    • Comprehensive Plans (2004)
    • What action steps were identified?
    • What has been implemented?
    • What has changed? What is no longer relevant?
    • Review and analyze previous SWOT and Survey Results.

  • Community Self-Assessment:
    • SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
    • Hear from the “experts”.
    • Community Survey
    ○ Each sub-committee will submit questions to include in the survey.
    ○ An online survey will be embedded on the website.
    ○ A few volunteers are needed for the Open House style “interactive” survey event.

  • Modeling from Examples & Dreaming Big:
    • What are other communities doing that we have experience and like?
    • What makes it special or unique?
    • How does it translate?
    • How can me make it our own?

  • Goals, Action Items, & Recommendations:
    • Prioritizing goals
    • Create a timeline
    • Determine where recommendations should be made
    • Develop a strategy to accomplish action items

  • Here is our chance to show them what we are made of.

MEETING MINUTES

COMMITTEE MINUTES

Brownfields Meetings

Questionnaire

Summary

Community Vision Task Force Summary

Arts, Recreation, & Entertainment | Downtown & Commercial Blocks | Economic Development | Organizations & Institutions | Residential Neighborhoods

STRENGTHS

  1. We have more to offer than people realize or expect in the arts, recreation and entertainment.

  2. Greenville is walkable with a desirable classic downtown streetscape.

  3. Greenville is a very affordable place to live.

  4. Greenville has award wining schools, a college, and strong charitable service organizations.

  5. Greenville is relatively safe.

WEAKNESSES

  1. We are sometimes fragmented cause a duplication of services.

  2. We need younger residents and our Thiel students engaged.

  3. We have many buildings in states of bad disrepair.

  4. There is a deep seeded negative perception of our area.

  5. We have difficulty maintaining public amenities and infrastructures.

OPPORTUNITIES

  1. Develop an overarching umbrella for sports associations.

  2. Develop a robust community indoor recreation facility

  3. Cooperative advertising program.

  4. Develop a common community calendar.

  5. Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy and plan.

THREATS

  1. Socio-economic hurdles for individuals and businesses.

GREENVILLE ECONOMIC STEERING COMMITTEE MATRIX SUMMARY

Trinity North & Downtown Sites | Urban Design Plan and Zoning for Downtown | Historic Preservation | Main Street | Thiel College Collaboration | Recreation Opportunities | Arts & Culture | Neighborhoods | School District | Marketing/Branding Greenville | Agriculture & Agritourism | Business & Commercial Environment

BUILDING A PLAN

INTERNAL MARKETING

What content are we marketing?
What platforms are we currently using?
What can we do better/different?
What other opportunities are there?

EXTERNAL MARKETING

Who are our target markets?
• Small Business Owners / Entrepreneurs
• Remote Workers as Residents
What is our message?
What platforms are available? Which tools have the greatest impact?
What type of content needs created?
What resources are available to create content?

““Three killers
1. local politics, especially “membership” politics that try to please everyone
2. lack of champions
3. lack of money””

Here are some of those “everyone uses them” words and phrases to delete from your marketing:

  • explore

  • discover

  • outdoor recreation

  • so much to do

  • four season destination

  • historic downtown

  • center of it all

  • best kept secret

  • close to it all

  • playground

I’m sure you can think of many more.

Don’t just market what you have, market what will close the sale