Anderson seeks to attract millenials

Members of the millennial generation — those born between 1981 and 1997 — are flocking to Seattle, Portland, Ore., Austin, Texas and other cities that they see as cultured.

Like other cities across the country, Anderson is on a quest to attract and retain young talent, said Levi Rinker, downtown development specialist for the Anderson Economic Development Department.

“That is the staple for our future generation,” he said. “If we don’t keep our own talent, how can you attract businesses to move in here?”

Anderson has made strides in recent years with downtown events such as Food Truckin’ Thursdays and Anderson Brewfest. Rinker said festivals that attract all age groups — especially millennials — breed culture, identity and quality of life in a city.

Rinker wants to see more permanent fixtures downtown, such as a brewery, unique shops, more food options and businesses that will attract people after the work day.

The younger generation puts more of an emphasis on paying for experiences, said Maureen McAvery, a senior resident fellow for retail at the Urban Land Institute, an international nonprofit research and education organization that explores urbanization, conservation, land use and sustainable development.

Instead of living to work, people in their 20s and early 30s are working to live. McAvey said it’s an active generation that wants to try new things, which can be something traditional with a new twist.

She said it’s important for young adults to have bars and a nightlife scene of their own.

“Clearly, this generation is attracted to more beer than hard liquor and bars that are affordable,” McAvey said. “It’s not going to be at the bar with the wood panels, your father or grandfather’s club environment. It’s going to have music, in some cases live music.”

Michelle Davis, 23, grew up in Anderson and left for Indiana University. After living in Bloomington for four years, returning to Anderson after graduation made her realize there’s not much to do for people her age.

She likes to golf, bowl and hike in Anderson, but she wishes there were more festivals and events like Taste of Bloomington, an annual event where local restaurants, wineries, breweries and live entertainment gather in one place.

Davis said the entertainment scene and businesses may at some point influence where she wants to live.

“I think eventually I want to see what else is out there, but right now I’m dedicated to making this place better,” she said.

Grant Gorman, 29, doesn’t think there’s much for young adults to do in Anderson.

Gorman, who is a vocal supporter of Mounds Lake, said he wants to see members of the community step up and try to find solutions to helping Anderson grow.

“We’ve got to get the mentality where we can start using the word yes,” he said. “You may have to say, ‘No, you can’t do it this way, but let’s look for another solution.’ You have to start building a 'yes' mentality for a community.”

Nearby Muncie struggled similarly to Anderson after its loss of manufacturing companies.

About 10 years ago, Muncie started its downtown redevelopment, and two years ago it started its “DWNTWN The Original Muncie” campaign, Muncie Downtown Development Executive Director Vicki Veach told The Herald Bulletin in an email. The campaign emphasizes quality of life and is geared primarily to millennials.

Since the campaign’s launch in late 2013, 30 new businesses have moved to downtown Muncie, nine of which have moved there this year, Veach said. Muncie’s downtown commercial occupancy is now 88 percent and residential occupancy is at 99 percent.

Mathew Bradfield, 23, said he often travels to Muncie and Indianapolis for their restaurants, stores and entertainment venues.

Even though he lives on Main Street, Bradfield said he normally only goes downtown for meetings at the Anderson Public Library or community events at the Dickmann Town Center.

“We’re really close to downtown,” he said. “There’s not really many businesses. (There’s) The Paramount, McDonald’s, The Toast, but there’s not much other than that, I think.”

Rinker and McAvery said walkability — meaning easy access by foot or bicycle — in downtown is crucial. As of right now, some errands in Anderson can be accomplished by foot, but it’s mainly a car-dependent city.

McAvery said it’s important for cities to adjust because millennials are an impressive generation with creative contributions, and many of them don’t necessarily want to move to big cities like Manhattan. It’s important for all cities to look at what they can do in order offer a cultured environment to young adults.

“You want them in your city," she said, "because they’re the ones who want to create something new."