Category Archives: NDDC Downtown Forum

The NDDC and the Colleges

Downtown news, Economic Development, Marketing, NDDC Downtown Forum, NDDC News

The NDDC has been conceptually and programatically connected with both Northfield colleges, Carleton and St. Olaf, since the organization’s birth in 2000.  These two large local employers are perhaps our most frequent collaborators.

One of the NDDC’s founders, Bardwell Smith, is Professor Emeritus of Religion and Asian Studies at Carleton College.  The organization has always had at least one board member from each of the colleges.  In addition, the NDDC has conducted annual outreach campaigns during major college events such as New Student Week, Family Weekend, Commencement Weekend, Reunion Weekend, and Homecoming Weekend.  Each year, the college presidents have been the NDDC’s guests at a Downtown Forum.  Finally, the organization has led or participated in many community projects that were powered by Carleton and/or St. Olaf College students. Continue reading The NDDC and the Colleges →

The Roundtable Shares Ideas with Downtown Stakeholders

NDDC Downtown Forum

Dave Van Wylen, St. Olaf College professor and Roundtable founder, was the NDDC’s guest at the October Downtown Forum.  He presented a summary of the work that architect Bill Johnson has been doing in Northfield since 2009.

From the very first session with Bill, the resulting Conceptual Diagram and Planning Considerations included east-west connections, the river, the “commons” (the central portion of our historic transportation network or the center section of Highway 3 between the railroad tracks and the river), the residential/commercial interface, key gateways, vistas, and developments, and “greening”.  It was kind of a view from 10,000 feet. Continue reading The Roundtable Shares Ideas with Downtown Stakeholders →

The Roundtable to Present at Downtown Forum

NDDC Downtown Forum

The Northfield Roundtable will make a presentation to downtown stakeholders on Tuesday, October 4th, 8:00 a.m., in the Riverview Conference Room of the Archer House River Inn, 212 Division Street, in Downtown Northfield, MN.

The Roundtable is a group of Northfield citizens, inspired by a group of private investors in Holland, MI.  The Holland group secured private investment, land-banked property, and created a guiding vision for real estate development in their community. Continue reading The Roundtable to Present at Downtown Forum →