HCP Associates Completes Second Biennial Resident and Worker Ybor District Study for the Ybor City Development Corporation
TAMPA, Fla., (October 31, 2018) HCP Associates, the marketing firm on record for the Ybor City Development Corporation (YCDC), a division of the City of Tampa’s Economic & Urban Development Department, completed the second biennial worker and resident study of the district.
The objectives of the study were to:
- Collect perceived assets and opportunities for the district
- Understand development priorities from resident and worker perspectives
- Track two-year significant changes in stakeholder response
- Document motivating factors for use in attracting future residents, employees and business owners
Over 750 participants shared factors of greatest importance—sense of safety, public area cleanliness, affordable parking and parking accessibility. They also highlighted Ybor’s strongest assets, inclusive of its walkability, location, things to do, sense of community, historic significance, diversity, food and beverage, nightlife and presence of chickens.
Baseline data enabled analysts to accentuate significant changes over the two-year period since the last study. Across the survey, there were notable increases. Gaps between respondent expectation and experience have become smaller, time spent in the district has increased, extreme satisfaction living and working in Ybor has increased, and many are interested in relocating to the district.
Respondents want to be able to do more in the district such as shopping and personal errands. Many residents and workers are leaving the district to grocery shop, dine and visit retailers like pharmacies, boutiques and convenience stores. The results highlight the significant opportunities for Ybor to capture some of the revenue currently being spent outside of its boundaries.
On October 23, HCP Associates delivered the results to YCDC board members. HCP’s Research Coordinator Madelin Ghomshe commented, “It is encouraging to see two-year improvements. The data suggests positive reception of numerous programs and initiatives that the Ybor City Development Corporation rolled out in response to the baseline study. Respondents appear to be more and more connected to the district. We all look forward to seeing the district continue to grow, close expectation gaps, develop programs and provide the data to document.”
The findings will be extensively used in conjunction with the YCDC’s strategic planning efforts.
Please visit https://yborcityonline.com/ if you would like to learn more about the YCDC.