NDDC Mission, Vision and Goals

Our Mission

The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) in Northfield, Minnesota is an organization of dedicated residents who seek to realize their vision of a vibrant and vital downtown through direct and indirect investment, collaboration and cooperation with other public and private groups, and by creating awareness of the opportunities that downtown Northfield holds for the community as a whole.

Our Vision

The NDDC is committed to creating and sustaining a vibrant and vital downtown, one that embodies our community’s unique combination of heritage, culture, and social diversity.

This vision is based upon a number of values and beliefs. For example, we believe that our downtown:

  • serves as a symbol for Northfield as a whole
  • represents our heritage and our hope for the future
  • is the heart and soul of our life in community, the place where we make connections with each other and share a social and cultural life
  • is the center of retail and commercial services and a place for housing and recreation
  • is defined and enriched by its proximity to the Cannon River
  • has unlimited potential to be even more than what it is
  • is at a crossroads and that time is of the essence if we are to make decisions that will insure its future

We value:

  • the qualities of life that are created by our downtown and its people
  • the spirit of cooperation, collaboration and trust that will be necessary if we are to work together to create a stronger downtown
  • the creativity and imagination of all those who care about our downtown
  • the sense of community that is created by places that promote interaction, reflection, and tranquility

NDDC Goals

  1. Downtown Development
    The NDDC seeks to create and support quality, multi-purpose development in downtown Northfield. This means development that preserves the historic character of the downtown business district, honors Northfield’s valuable heritage, maintains density levels, more effectively utilizes current buildings, and expresses our community’s unique character and identity. It is also development that leaves the downtown accessible and convenient for business owners, suppliers, customers and the community as a whole.
  2. Growth
    The NDDC seeks to both fill in and expand the size of the central downtown business district. To this end, the NDDC encourages redevelopment west of the Cannon River and other boundary areas as opportunities arise. It also means better utilization of current structures in the central business district.
  3. Trust and Cooperation
    The NDDC seeks to create trust and cooperation among all parties interested in the future of downtown Northfield. To this end the NDDC will initiate, facilitate and participate in collaborative efforts with such diverse entities as the EDA, the City Council, the Planning Commission, the Chamber of Commerce, downtown business and property owners and other agencies, entities and private citizens. In addition, the NDDC will engender trust by using the personal relationships, social and professional networks and the personal insights and experience of its members to augment the more formal efforts of others.
  4. Education and Understanding
    The NDDC seeks to create and communicate a true and detailed picture of downtown Northfield. To this end, the NDDC seeks to educate the citizens of Northfield about the value to the whole community of a vibrant and vital downtown and to create better understanding about the economic, political and social forces at work that affect this vitality and vibrancy.
  5. Advocate for Downtown Business and Property Owners
    The NDDC seeks to be an advocate for business and property owners in downtown Northfield. To this end the NDDC will conduct research projects, measure and report on the economic health of the downtown business community, provide networking and other associated opportunities that improve the flow of information about and among downtown businesses and develop financing opportunities that will assist business and property owners in undertaking new projects and development.
  6. Marketing Downtown
    The NDDC seeks to help develop the downtown Northfield “Brand,” that set of identifying characteristics that can be used to attract new businesses and customers. To this end we will work with the EDA, the  Chamber of Commerce, and the Northfield Enterprise Center to market the downtown locally, regionally and nationally as a unique place to live, work and recreate.
  7. A Significant Community Asset
    The NDDC seeks to position itself as a significant community asset, a dedicated group of residents that bring integrity, credibility and a set of remarkable skills and abilities to the significant challenges and opportunities that face downtown Northfield.

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