Revitalization group forms to promote Marshall downtown

Friday, June 26, 2009
By SYDNEY STONNER/Staff writer

At Marshall's new downtown association's meeting Monday evening, June 22, Tracy Hartley was chosen to represent the group at Missouri Main Street Connection convention Aug. 18-20 in Kansas City.

The organization, which is still deciding on an official name, is applying to become an "aspiring community" with Missouri Main Street, the first of four levels of city participation. At the convention, Hartley, the owner of the consignment shop Serendipity, will attend training about the specifics of the program.

The National Main Street Center is a nonprofit organization that works to help communities revitalize downtown areas. It provides information and advice, but no financial backing, and encourages local participation.

AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer Josh King, who is also working with Marshall-Saline Development Corporation, organized Tuesday's meeting. He thinks the Main Street program is a good way to learn ideas and methods that have worked for other communities and could help improve Marshall's downtown.

"There's no reason to reinvent the wheel or the square," King said.

King decided to organize a downtown association in Marshall after talking about downtown revitalization at the State of Saline County symposium held Thursday, April 23, in Arrow Rock.

"I was hoping to make the conversation sustainable," King said.

At Tuesday's meeting, which was attended by about 20 area business owners and other community figures, King encouraged those present to brainstorm the assets and the opportunities, or problems, offered by Marshall's downtown.

"Our downtown's already pretty," Library Director Amy Crump said.

Other attendees listed things like Indian Foothills Park and Marshall's music community as positives for the town.

"I think that Jim the Wonder Dog is a really wild and wonderful story," King said, one that he'd like to capitalize on by creating an annual dog show and competition.

The lack of parking on the square and its shift away from retail businesses were two main problems identified in the meeting.

Square Corner owner Lee Hamilton is one of the new organization's members, and she hopes joining together will help all downtown businesses.

"If we want to get anywhere, we have to work together as a group," she said.

Hamilton would like to see the group organize promotions and events that would bring customers downtown, and she thinks establishing association rules might also be a good idea.

The organization will meet again Monday, July 13, at 5:30 p.m.

Contact Sydney Stonner at marshallbusiness@socket.net

On the Web:

www.momainstreet.org

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Has anyone considered creating a special tax abatement district for E. Arrow, E. North and Eastwood to the east of Brunswick. By abating property taxes, perhaps some of those beautiful, old, Victorian homes could be refurbished.

-- Posted by Nonnymus on Sat, Jun 27, 2009, at 5:57 PM

Maybe this group of people can expand to the rest of Marshall, specifically O'Dell Ave. To clean those up and promote an exterior business atmosphere rather than a hap-hazard look.

-- Posted by Scarpetta on Sat, Jun 27, 2009, at 9:48 AM

I think the Marshall Square looks good. We actually have new businesses opening up and the buildings are being kept in good repair or have been torn down and rebuilding has been done. It is good that people are taking an interest enough to make sure it continues.

-- Posted by collector on Sat, Jun 27, 2009, at 4:54 AM