Rick Ferrell is the principal of Retail Market Answers, LLC, (RMA) which specializes in downtown business development, economic planning and implementation services in accordance with “smart growth” principles. As such RMA targets appropriate business recruitment prospects (preferred by local stakeholders and most likely to be sustainable based on prevailing economic conditions). RMA’s economic planning extends to “business retention” considerations preserving or enhancing the growth of those already invested in a community. RMA provides practical and “hands on” retail business recruitment assistance for all of its strategic planning recommendations to public and private sector clients, alike, which includes services to more than 35 downtowns and communities throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Prior to forming RMA, Rick spent 20 years in shopping center development, redevelopment, leasing, management, marketing, and operations. He has worked in executive capacities with, The Rouse Company, Compass Retail, Arbor Property Trust and Forest City Ratner Companies. While at Forest City, Rick was involved in all aspects of development, redevelopment and planning for the company’s retail and mixed-use real estate portfolio. Post development, Rick was responsible for leasing and managing more than seven million square feet of retail and mixed-use space, encompassing 26 redevelopments throughout the Boroughs of New York City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Rick is a frequent lecturer on a variety of revitalization topics:
- Keynote Speaker, “Food As A Catalyst For Downtown Growth”, 2009 Ontario Business Improvement Area Association Conference, Toronto, Canada
- “Case Studies in Business Retention”, 2009 National Main Street Conference, Chicago, IL
- “Community Initiated Development”, Virginia Downtown Development Corporation and Virginia Main Street, April 2008
- “Business Retention and Recruitment: Two Sides of The Same Coin, Selected Speaker, 2008 National Main Street Conference, Philadelphia, PA
- Key-note Speaker,“Growth By Choice”, Rues principales Foundation Conference, Quebec City, Canada (Sept 2007)
- “Market Analysis: Getting What You Need, Using What You Have” and “ Business Recruitment: and Business Recruitment”, Destination Downtown (MS, LA, AK), Natchitoches, LA (Sept. 2007)
- “Town and Gown Relationships”, Preservation Maryland Conference, Chestertown, MD (June 2007)
- “The Economic Development Process”, Governors Conference on Tourism, Dover, Delaware
- “Business Recruitment Workshop”, National Main Street Conference, Seattle, Washington (2007 )
- “Issues in Land Use and Environmental Planning”, College of Urban Affairs, University of Delaware, Spring Semester 2007
- “Main Street Preservation and Revitalization”, Instructor, Spring Semester 2007
- “Creating a Strategic Merchandising Plan”, Institute for Public Administration, University of Delaware, Professional Development and Training Opportunities for Local Government, (December 2006)
- Retail Merchandising and Consumer Driven Development, The “Lunch and Learn” Series, Arbor Realty Trust (NYSE:ARB)
- Mixing It Up, Creating the Ideal Downtown Business Mix, National Main Street Conference, Baltimore, MD (2005)
