Keeping commercial properties clean to attract business in NELA

WEST MONROE, La. (KNOE) – Economic development agencies are often looking to expand and attract businesses in their regions.

It takes clean commercial properties to get them interested in a location. Executive director Sheila Kay Downhour of Ouachita Green said sometimes it only takes one impression for a company to decide to do business in the area. Whenever there’s litter sitting on a commercial property along a main corridor, a region can lose out on an economic opportunity.

“Many years ago, there was a company that was going to come here and then, litter was one of the main issues. They said, “We don’t want to come here,” said Downhour.

Downhour said that’s when they saw an opportunity to get the community involved in keeping commercial properties clean along a main corridor.

“When someone sees litter on the side of the road, they think, “Oh, well, people don’t care. They don’t pay attention to detail. They don’t care about others. They don’t care about their surroundings; and so, that gives people an idea that we don’t care and that’s so not true,” said Downhour.

The organization is hosting an upcoming free event for residents to recycle their items and not feel they have to litter in their neighborhoods, on the side of the roads and commercial properties.

“And you can bring in your e-waste, all those computer monitors that you don’t need anymore; cellphones, things like that. What we’re doing – is we’re stopping illegal dumping, but we’re also making it easier for people to do the right thing. These are things we don’t want in our landfill,” said Downhour.

America Recycles Day is happening on Nov. 2, 2024, at the Monroe Civic Center.

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