In the Know column: How important is a flourishing downtown?

In the Know column: How important is a flourishing downtown?

By Tara Bitzan, executive director, Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce As director of a Chamber of Commerce, I am often inundated with data and reports on the economy, consumer trends, employment, workforce, population and more. Of course, at times some of it is worrisome, but repeatedly through the years I have seen the Alexandria Lakes Area buck national and state trends. I often credit that to the fact our community has a diverse busin…