BIRMINGHAM, AL (August 18, 2026) – Downtown Strategies, a division of Retail Strategies, has been engaged by the City of Winter Garden to help guide the continued growth and vision of its historic downtown district. The partnership will focus on policy recommendations, incentive strategies, and local business retention, with an emphasis on preserving the character that has made downtown Winter Garden a destination.
“We are very proud of our downtown and CRA district, the city and our partners have spent decades building a downtown that is rich in history and matches our unique community spirit. As the private sector continues to evolve, some of our small businesses have noticed changes in the market. By partnering with Retail Strategies we can ensure we keep our identity,” said Marc Hutchinson, the city’s economic development director. “We’re thrilled to have a community development partner that has actual downtown practitioners guiding the next chapter of our downtown.”
City leaders are proactively investing in the tools and expertise needed to manage that growth and private sector changes. As part of the engagement, Downtown Strategies will work closely with the city on business retention efforts and will support recruitment and revitalization along the Plant Street corridor and targeted surrounding areas as the district continues to expand.
“Winter Garden has a beautiful, pedestrian-oriented character, and the city wants to preserve that. Downtown is thriving and growing,” said Sarah Beth Stewart, Vice President of Retail Strategies. “Our approach will be to advise the city on policies and incentives, and to support revitalization along Plant Street and other key adjoining areas within the CRA boundary. ”
A Downtown Visioning Workshop was held on July 28, bringing together city leaders, economic development staff, and local stakeholders to align on priorities for the district. Insights from the workshop will inform the custom downtown plan, which Downtown Strategies will deliver to city stakeholders in the coming weeks.
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About Downtown Strategies
Downtown Strategies, a division of Retail Strategies, exists to provide realistic, implementable strategies to help communities revitalize their downtowns. Led by a team of former downtown revitalization practitioners and real estate experts, our combination of real-world experience and expertise in real estate and retail uniquely qualifies us to assist communities in backfilling vacancies, increasing tourism, and enhancing the sense of place in their downtowns. Serving rural communities in 27 states, Downtown Strategies is the leading national firm in downtown revitalization planning, with an emphasis on real estate and retail.
About Retail Strategies
Retail Strategies is the national expert in community development and retail economic development. Our mission is to provide the real estate expertise, tools, and human effort that position deserving towns as alluring locations for national businesses and destinations for tourism and quality-of-life amenities. We confidently pursue this mission by delivering unparalleled customer service as a unified team, drawing on unmatched real estate and community development expertise. Our activities yield returns in sales taxes, additional jobs, and businesses that enhance the unique qualities of your community.
