Association ready to move forward
By JOANNA BRAZIL
Peabody Main Street director
If you think the Peabody Main Street Association has been quiet for a while, you are right. The association has been reviewing bylaws, restructuring committees, developing work plans, systematizing, recruiting, learning, and brainstorming. Now, we are ready to move forward.
For those who may not be familiar with the Main Street program, the following is offered as a refresher course. Basically, Main Street is a volunteer-driven, self-help downtown revitalization organization. Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing oversees local programs and sets guidelines to follow. They provide Main Street cities with tools, training, technical assistance, and direction in downtown revitalization and historic preservations. It is up to the city to use these tools to its advantage. Many cities compete for the benefits. Peabody is privileged to have them at its disposal.
Main Street is not a "quick fix" to economic difficulty. While cleaning up the downtown helps, long term downtown revitalization needs to include maintenance, marketing, downtown promotion, understanding of the target market, volunteers, building restoration, planning, and most importantly, local support. Main Street takes incremental steps to address these issues under a comprehensive four-point approach: organization, design, promotion, and economic restructuring. The combination of the four areas tackles the challenges faced by communities when properly implemented.
The key to success in downtown revitalization ultimately is in the hands of the community's citizens. Whether you own a business or property, have children in school, work in the area, or live in the area, you have a stake in your community. You can help growth and development by offering something as simple as a smile and friendly gesture to the people you may or may not know around you. Shopping locally also is very helpful. For those of you who want to be even more involved in the effort, you might consider working on a Main Street committee. And, if the "c" word scares you, but you still want to help, there are numerous projects planned that could use a little extra help.
Feel free to contact me for more information. I will be delighted to visit with you at your convenience. Stop by or call the city office or e-mail me at pbdymnst@earthlink.net. Great things are happening. Are you ready?
