The second half of the 20th century was not kind to America’s Main Streets. Once the hearts of our towns and small cities, many fell victim to the appeal of suburbia. We found what we needed along the edges: quiet cul-de-sacs, indoor malls, the convenience of big-box stores. Mail-order catalogs and then the Internet allowed us to shop from home. But something was lost in the process: the sense of community created by a space where people could watch parades, meet for dinner or drinks, or enjoy an outdoor concert.
Downtown Odessa, a non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Odessa, is asking how we get this back. They recently did a 3 day workshop but struggled to peak the interest of local investors. Some of the topics of discussion were public parking, housing and permit assistance for new construction.
I have listed a few ideas for downtown revitalization
Establish a regularly occurring public event that showcases downtown merchants, music and food. Ongoing public events would help drive positive awareness of our city’s downtown. Bringing people from your entire city downtown on a regular basis, once a week or even just once a month, serves to make citizens aware of the unique amenities that exist in the central part of their community. Events like live music, food truck gatherings or a kid friendly event could potentially draw thousands of people to the downtown area. Many of the people that would attend do not work or live near downtown, so by creating an event, you can expose a wider portion of the community to what’s happening downtown. Hence, they are more likely to visit the downtown area on other occasions and more likely to consider locating a business downtown or even living near downtown.
LIVE, PLAY and RELAX, The most successful downtown districts have many major functions such as shopping, entertainment, employment and housing. A key ingredient for creating a diverse downtown district is to have destinations that draw people to downtown for reasons other than employment. One such draw would be a satellite campus. Odessa College is looking in to building one such facility at 222 E. Fourth St where the Odessa American was located for many years. It would have a nice outdoor turf section with a stage for live music, water shooting out of the ground kind of like the Bush Convention Center has and in the second phase of construction we would see the erection of a 32,000 sq. ft. continuing education building with culinary, welding and other trade type classes. This would be a great addition to downtown Odessa.
Create a permanent farmers market, Local markets and farmers markets are becoming more and more popular throughout the United States. The number of available markets has grown considerably in recent years. A farmers market is a name for a gathering, community or assembly of local farmers and food sellers. Generally, they meet in a public area like a park or parking lot at a scheduled date or time. For instance, every Friday or Saturday.
Farmers markets have a set of limitations and restrictions, which prevent sellers from traveling long distances to sell their wares.
The definition of “local” or valid distance differs from market to market, as each sets its own restrictions. Some may allow farmers from the entire state, while others may only allow farmers and sellers from a smaller area.
The reason for this is it keeps the agriculture confined to local crops, which guarantees the food being sold is fresh. Food and wares are always seasonal too, so at certain times of the year, you won’t be able to find certain foods or crops.
These markets contribute directly to the local economy and any money exchanged keeps farmers sustained. They make more money selling directly to customers. Plus, all participating farmers are free to choose what and how much food they produce.
Create a downtown playground to make downtown more kid-friendly and family friendly, creating a top-notch downtown playground could be a truly transformative strategy, particularly if it is part of a broader initiative to make downtown more family and kid friendly.
Encourage Entrepreneurs, training, financing, and logistical support is needed to encourage new business. Imagine partnering with our local colleges to create a “Start Your Own Business” class and a program that allows new business owners to meet with several government agencies at once. “Instead of an entrepreneur getting frustrated as they’re bouncing between [building and fire] code departments and engineering and health they are utilizing local resources with the help of a liaison.
Although every downtown is different and must be customized based on it’s unique physical conditions and consumer demand it takes a “private/public” partnership to succeed. A town that facilitates everyone’s participation—from energetic young adults to retirees looking to downsize—is more likely to thrive.
People are looking for great places to hang out and feel connected to their community. A good foundation leaves room for much growth. If you give people a good reason to come, they generally do.