THE FUTURE OF BISBEE
Economic development is often thought of in relatively narrow terms: new businesses, expansion of existing business, retention of businesses, new residents, tourism growth, and job creation. And to be precise, economic development in this sense should mean a net gain of money flow into Bisbee.
While that is true, what is really talked about in Bisbee is community development of which economic development is one facet. Community development is a broader term and encompasses, amenities, roads, cultural activity, education, planning, transportation, housing, economic sustainability, and beautification.
We need to invest in our community. We need to show ourselves, and visitors that might be thinking of investing their money here, that we care about the future of Bisbee.
Bisbee is shrinking in population, about 1000 people per decade. Our city is in a precarious financial situation, primarily because of a reduced tax base, and terrible decisions by State legislators that have taken money from us and threaten to take more, but also because of promises that were made to public safety persons in better economic times. The level of services in our city; garbage collections, road repairs, building inspection, public safety, city worker wages, sewer inspections, are just about at the most basic level.
I’m not crying wolf or exaggerating, but to inject realism in discussions about our future.
This post is about building and flourishing as a community. Our tasks are clear; we need to attract people to live and work here, add and develop new sources of revenue, and keep residents from leaving. That’s the bottom line.
It’s in that spirit that I offer the following suggestions.
This is a wish/want/possibility list that I have been putting together for a couple of years. Some are suggestions from other people that I have poached, fragments of conversations I have had, stuff I have read, and my own observations. I suspect you would have many things to add to these categories (loosely defined). Many of these suggestions take money, volunteers, and cooperation, but some don't. Above all it takes a desire to make Bisbee a better place for those of us living here and people that visit. Perhaps this year you can find time and/or money to do one thing you haven't done before that makes our city a better place to be. Because if it ain't us, then who?
Possible Business Opportunities/Economic Development
(These ideas are predicated on the belief that we have a huge workforce when we include AP, Douglas, Naco, as well as Bisbee. Any development should have Bisbee, Cochise County, AZ, US citizens first, but if there are not enough US citizens applying for jobs, than green card workers would be welcome.)
Entrepreneur/Individual & Micro-Business Possibilities
Event planning
Cooking classes
Hiking and Trail Guide
Biking tours of Cochise County
Walking history tours
Cemetery History Tours
Develop wine tours
Portraits
Caricatures
Mailing, Boxing, Wrapping, Service
Painting designs on helmets;’bicycle, motorcycle, football
Fabrication business
Machine shop for specialty parts
Drive a golf ball into the Pit business (daily business or non profit fundraiser?)
Medium Size Spa
Building on the substantial core of active body care practitioners, (yoga, massage, holistic health, chiropractic, exercise) Bisbee could use a medium size spa with full range of beauty, wellness, water, massage, and health treatments.
Boutique Hotel
40-60 rooms
conference rooms to fit 150
parking for 120 vehicles
built to fit historically, architecturally, and visually
Garment/Sewing/Bag Factory
High end fashion construction and sewing/AZ designers
Utilize existing work force in Douglas/AP/Naco/Bisbee
Reusable bag manufacturing
Poach AP maquiladoras
Establish Bisbee offices (Velcro used to have a Bisbee office)
Attract/establish factories using Free Trade Zone designation
New Specialty restaurants/food carts
Agriculture
o Organize small scale gardening for specific markets
§ Micro greens/lettuce /in city
o Nursery/in city
§ Cactus
§ flowers
§ bedding plants
o Hydroponics and Aquaponics container growing /in city
o Sulphur Springs Valley build sustainable/organic sector/out of city
o Medical Marijuana Greenhouses /out of city
o Marijuana cultivation (if legal)/out of city
Electric Highway/Benson to Wilcox
Work with APS and Sulphur Springs Electric to install electric vehicle charging stations in cities on hwy 80. Market to electric car owners.
BUILD EXISTING SPORTING EVENTS
· Coaster race (regionalize it)
· BRATS (Bisbee Rolling Art Transport Society) (state-wide)
· Copper City Classic Vintage Base Ball (state-wide)
· Bisbee 1000 Iron Man (nationalize it, reduce resident price)
POSSIBLE NEW SPORTING EVENTS
An electric bike race
Mule Mountain bike race
100 mile Cochise County marathon
Kids soccer camp (summer)
Kids tennis camp (summer)
Kids golf camp (summer)
Kids language camp (summer)
Mexico/US amateur golf (any time)
Mexico/US marathon event
Regional/statewide soccer shootout competition
POSSIBLE NEW EVENTS
· An Art Car Weekend
o Parade
o Park and look
· Astronomy
o Build an event around annual meteor showers
· Birder Events
o Welcome Back to the Sandhill Cranes (Nov./white water draw)
o Expand on Hummingbird banding
· Monthly Board Game contest (cribbage, scrabble, etc.)
· Host regional game competitions
· Monsoon Midnight Lightning show (July/August on airport road)
· Festival of the Bisbee B’s......B mountain, Be Yourself, Bee pollinators
· Books/Authors/Readers (March)
piggyback on the Tucson Book Festival; authors read/panel discussions
one on one author’s interview other authors
· Bisbee Lodging Tour (in conjunction with the Garden tour?)
· Music concert series outdoor Saturday night for 12-16 weeks (OB & Warren)
· Outdoor Juried Art Fair
· Artists studio tours (in conjunction with lodging tour? Garden tour?)
TRAILS & BIKES
Develop a multi-use path along Hwy 80 connecting all of Bisbee
Work with Freeport to develop hiking trails
Develop trails on city property
Develop Greenbush draw
Encourage walking in town
Work with other cities to develop bike trails in the county
ART ...VISUAL/CULTURE/MUSIC
(predicated on my belief that Bisbee should become more colorful and a fun place to live and visit)
Create four Welcome to Bisbee signs Colorful Art-inspired
Hwy 92 entrance in San Jose
Naco Highway North entrance to US from Mexico,
Hwy 80 West (before traffic roundabout)
Hwy 80 East
Mural on the tunnel entrance on west end of tunnel
Landscape the Hwy 80/Old Bisbee off ramp (ADOT)
Cactus
Wildflowers
Sculpture
Paint Murals throughout Bisbee on private and public buildings, fences/retaining walls
Paint/tile many of the staircases of Old Bisbee
Create a waterfall using recycled water
Develop Bisbee as an outdoor Sculpture Center Sculptures in all 3 districts. Invite local/regional/national sculptors to submit designs and placement. Subsidize through Foundation, Individual, and Corporate grants
Paint Our Town Spruce up/paint businesses, add murals, add awnings in all districts
Work with Cochise College to establish a pottery/ceramic center in Warren or San Jose
Place painted Javalinas ‘sculptures’ and other local desert creatures on streets
Place outdoor musical instruments at the Lavendar Pit overlook for people to randomly play (http://freenotesharmonypark.com)
Put small historical markers embedded in the sidewalk on a ‘walk’ through town.
EDUCATION
Work with school district on literacy programs
Volunteer at a school
Volunteer at Boys and Girls Club
Volunteer at the library
GENERAL ENVIRONMENT
Plant trees (desert willow?) and cactus (ocotillo?)on both sides of Hwy 92 East bound to the traffic circle
Plant trees (desert willow?) and cactus on both sides of Hwy 80 west bound to the traffic circle
Become Southern Arizona Wildflower Destination
Buy wildflower seed and give it free to residents to sow everywhere in Bisbee.
Pick up trash, haul away abandoned vehicles, cut weeds, fix potholes
BE A VOLUNTEER FOR THESE OR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
Bisbee Bloomers
Boys and Girls Club
Bisbee Library
Visitor Information Office
Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum
Bisbee Restoration Museum
Bisbee Coalition for the Homeless
Churches
Friends of Bisbee Animal Shelter
Friends of the Copper Queen Library
Friends of Warren Ballpark
Bisbee 1000
Bisbee Wellness Initiative
Bisbee Women’s Club
Bisbee Senior Center
Bisbee Radio Project
Bisbee Community Chorus
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