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Fort Worth, Texas based Buxton, a customer analysis firm specializing in customer profiling to assist enterprises
in gaining a competitive edge, recently recognized Marion, Indiana for successfully attracting experienced retail
developers to their trade areas. With new developments that include retail shops, restaurants, and a car
dealership, Marion is proving they are worthy of investment and the city is reaping the benefits.
Solid data from the CommunityID assessment performed by Buxton validated several sites in Marion attractive to
retail developers. The City of Marion responded by gathering development sites, buying options on the property,
and purchasing land.
To expand retail near Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion created Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts as a
tool for redevelopment. Currently, a 170-acre versatile site is now under construction at State Road 18 and
the I-69 interchange. Marion is also working with the owner of a local outdated mall, part of a Community
Revitalizing Enhancement District (CRED), to refurbish and expand the property.
In addition, the City of Marion makes ease of development a priority. Jay Julian, Director of Development
Services for the City of Marion, commented, “We tried to cut any extraneous layer of government processes. We
try to make it easy and cost efficient to get into a project and easy for developers to do what they need to do
from a jurisdictional perspective.”
Read Buxton’s article at http://www.buxtonco.com/learnmore_marion.htm
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