BIRMINGHAM, AL (April 21, 2026) – Downtown Strategies, a division of Retail Strategies, has been selected by the North Country Rural Development Coalition (NCRDC) to provide Downtown Business Attraction and Tenant Recruitment Services for the Town of Ticonderoga, New York. The firm was chosen through a competitive Request for Proposals process in February 2026.
Downtown Strategies will work closely with NRDC, the Town of Ticonderoga, local property owners and community members to identify and recruit businesses that align with Ticonderoga’s downtown character and long-term community goals. The work will begin with the development of a strategic recruitment plan that evaluates the market, identifies gaps in existing services, and targets the right mix of businesses and tenants for the district.
The initiative is designed to build upon the community’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) investments by reducing vacancy, addressing longstanding commercial tenancy challenges, and returning blighted and underutilized buildings to productive use. Particular focus will be placed on attracting additional local and regional businesses, restaurants, food providers, retail shops, and services that complement and strengthen existing small businesses rather than compete directly with them. The goal is to fill gaps in the local market and bring in the types of goods, services, dining, and amenities that residents currently must travel outside the community to access.
The effort will also support the work of the Essex County Land Bank, which has prioritized the redevelopment of vacant and blighted downtown properties throughout Essex County. Downtown Strategies will engage with downtown business owners, community members, property owners, and local partners throughout the planning process to ensure the resulting strategy reflects the community’s priorities and builds on the momentum already underway in Ticonderoga. Through strategic recruitment and partnerships with private property owners, the goal is to leverage public investment to attract significant private investment and create a stronger, more vibrant downtown and commercial corridor.
“We were impressed by the depth of experience Downtown Strategies brings to this work and the hands-on experience their team brings from working with downtowns across the country,” said Dr. Katie Long, Deputy Director of the North Country Rural Development Coalition. “Having former downtown practitioners serve as an extension of our team gives us tremendous confidence that Ticonderoga’s downtown will receive the focused, knowledgeable attention it deserves.”
Nicole Justice Green, President and CEO of the North Country Rural Development Coalition, which includes the Essex and Washington County Land Banks, added that the effort is about more than filling storefronts. “This is an opportunity to work directly with our downtown businesses, community members, and property owners to build on the investments already being made through our work. We want to reduce vacancy, address blighted and underutilized buildings, support existing businesses, and recruit the restaurants, shops, services, and amenities that our residents currently have to travel elsewhere to find. By bringing in the right businesses and creating more activity in our downtown and other commercial corridors, we believe we can leverage these public investments to attract significant additional private investment into Ticonderoga.”
Downtown Strategies President Jenn Gregory emphasized the firm’s commitment to a thoughtful, community-specific approach to recruitment.
“Our process starts with building the right strategic plan — one that identifies the businesses that are truly the right fit for Ticonderoga rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach,” Gregory said. “That groundwork plays an important role in setting the community up for long-term success, and we are already underway working on the plan.”
Downtown Strategies brings a practitioner-led approach to downtown business recruitment, drawing on firsthand experience managing and revitalizing downtown districts. The team specializes in helping communities attract businesses that strengthen their unique identity, fill key vacancies, and contribute to a vibrant downtown economy.
About North Country Rural Development Coalition
The North Country Rural Development Coalition (NRDC) is a nonprofit organization established in 1984 to connect and strengthen communities through housing restoration, downtown revitalization, historic preservation, economic development, and community development programs. Based on the tri-county border in Ticonderoga, New York, NRDC serves Essex, Warren, and Washington Counties. In partnership with HCR and other local municipalities, NRDC has played a leading role in redeveloping vacant and blighted properties, supporting small businesses, increasing housing opportunities, and strengthening downtowns throughout the region.
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 with unmatched real estate and community development expertise. Our activities pay a return in sales taxes, added jobs, and businesses that enhance and add to the unique qualities of your community.
