Lincoln Economic Advancement & Development  Engages NextSite to Market Lincoln’s Westside
Ameren Illinois Contribution Paves the Way

[November 16, 2022]  

In September, Lincoln Economic Advancement & Development (LEAD) entered an exciting partnership with commercial recruitment and development firm, NextSite, LLC, to help attract retail and restaurant investment to Lincoln’s Westside.

“Developing a robust retail corridor requires dedicated resources and a marketing expertise that would take many years for us to acquire," said Andrea Runge, LEAD’s CEO. “We have made great strides in our first 18 months. Now, with NextSite's expertise and connections, we can make an even deeper impact in the attraction of retail and commercial businesses to the Westside.”

NextSite is a nationally-recognized consultant that works with real estate developers, tenant representatives, and end-users to identify development opportunities in markets throughout the U.S. The company specializes in market analysis and proactive recruitment of retail and mixed use projects. A partnership with Ameren Illinois enables smaller communities like Lincoln to utilize NextSite's capabilities at reduced costs.

LEAD and NextSite are working on the foundational data and marketing materials to spread the news of Lincoln’s assets to commercial developers who are looking for specific, strategic rural areas in which to expand their footprint.

“NextSite is very excited to partner with LEAD to pro-actively connect and support commercial development opportunities in the Lincoln market,” remarked Charles Branch, Senior Vice President of NextSite. “Over the past few weeks, we have completed our initial analysis and have begun the outreach process to developers, tenant reps, and real estate decision makers to position market opportunities. We look forward to working with LEAD to recruit additional commercial development and redevelopment to Lincoln.”

“As an electric and natural gas utility provider, Ameren Illinois is embedded in the communities we serve, and as our community thrive so do our customers," said Eric Whitfield, Economic Development Director for Ameren Illinois. "Our economic development team is focused on growth for our service territory and that growth comes in many different forms. What works for urban communities may not always work for our rural communities and vice versa. We are pleased that our community partners in Lincoln will benefit from NextSite’s suite of services and look forward to the group’s collective success.”

“We are so appreciative to our partners at Ameren Illinois who have given us the opportunity to leverage our local donor commitments to promote Lincoln’s I-55 corridor to a much broader audience,” Runge added.

LEAD’s mission is to empower Lincoln’s economic health and vitality. To learn more about LEAD, please visit www.thrivein
lincoln.org. 

[Andrea Runge]