ROCKDALE, Texas (KRHD) -- The Rockdale Municipal Development District announced a partnership with Retail Strategies, a retail advisory firm, to help attract new businesses to the city amid new growth. DD partners with a retail advisory firm to attract new businesses amid city growth.

The district is investing $45,000 with aims of bringing in more fast-food and full-service restaurants, building material manufacturers and general retailers.Some local business owners have mixed feelings about the new initiative's impact on the community.But the group is also surveying local businesses to identify their needs and support them.The group started its initial 90-day period of research Sept. 15.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Mark Clark has been running Cliff's Tavern for 13 years.

"Business has its ups and downs," Owner Clark said.

And he knows change is coming soon.

"Out to north of town where I live, they're putting in 600 homes," he said.

And so does the Rockdale Municipal Development District, which is investing $45,000 to partner with national retail recruiters.

"We're able to tap into that and basically buy into access into their network," Economic Development Director Jim Gibson said. "That otherwise, it would take us a very long time to build those relationships."

To attract businesses like restaurants, building material manufacturers and other general retailers.

But it doesn't come without worry.

"Their efforts are great. I said, I'm not interested in all the problems that come with new businesses coming in," Clark said.

But Jim says they're not forgetting about local businesses --

"Having your local retail is really terrific for your local residents and especially for entrepreneurs that are wanting to start their business here in Rockdale," Gibson said.

Launching a new survey to offer support.

"Those kinds of questions allow us to find those businesses that are seeking to expand and try to help them or those businesses that are wanting to maybe contract or potentially close," he said.

Mark says he does wish there were more businesses to fill in the empty space downtown.

But until then, he says he's just going to do what he's been doing.

"If they had come up with something that would help us from a business standpoint, we'll do the best we can to go along with it. But other than that, we're just going to keep doing, and all we can do is make it or break it," Clark said.

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