On Thursday, June 2, the Hendersonville City Council awarded a contract for branding and visioning of the 7th Avenue Municipal Service District to Arnett Muldrow from Greenville, South Carolina.
In 2022, Arnett Muldrow celebrates 20 years of downtown planning, community development and place branding work. The company comes to Hendersonville with a track record of working with over 500 communities in 40 states and 5 countries, including working in Hendersonville in 2007 to create the “H” logo that represents Downtown.
The Hendersonville Downtown Advisory Board and a subcommitee composed of board members, 7th Avenue stakeholders, and residents of the nearby Green Meadows Community were a part of the interview process, interviewing 3 consultants about their experience in place branding, community and equitable engagement processes. The team reviewed and scored consultants based on the following:
- Skills/Creativity: Portfolio of work that demonstrates technical and creative execution, particularly for similar projects.
- Resources/capability: Business experience, staff, skills and expertise, projects of note, project management, methodology, ability to meet milestones.
- Approach to Public Input and Engagement
- Additional consideration may be given for future projects to firms that offer downtown master planning services.
Arnett Muldrow was the unanimous selection due to their professional experience in stakeholder involvement, community input, and place branding.
Public input and engagement from businesses and property owners within the Municipal Service District as well as residents in and around the district was at the forefront in the process starting with selecting the consultant and will continue to be important throughout the whole process.
A schedule of public input dates will be released in the coming weeks, with a goal of completion by Fall just in time for breaking ground of phase 1 of the 7th Avenue Streetscape which will provide pedestrian and stormwater improvements on 7th Avenue from Grove Street to the Railroad Tracks.
Visit the City of Hendersonville website for more information.
Prepared by the City of Hendersonville.