Deb Brown, then Chamber of Commerce Executive Director in Webster City, Iowa, was tasked with filling the empty buildings downtown. The major manufacturer had left town and many of the supply chain businesses had closed when half of the employed adults in town lost their jobs., Deb has become a specialist in filling empty buildings, cofounded SaveYour.Town and has been helping other communities fill their empty buildings. It works!
10 of the 12 empty buildings in Webster City that were on the tour of empty buildings were filled within 18 months.
In Paulding, Ohio, 60 days after a 3-day visit, 6 new businesses had opened in town.
In Columbiana, Ohio, all of the empty buildings in the downtown have been filled and Firestone Park that was an empty piece of land on the end of town is now a vibrant dining and shopping area.
A recent tour of empty buildings in Shawnee, Oklahoma saw over 200 people attending the tour.
The Texas Downtown Association hosts a tour for many small towns every year.