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Downtown Grand Island's participation in the Nebraska Lied Main Street program has paid off in a big way.
For every $1 put into the program $18 has been reinvested into the downtown said Christa Bootsma of the Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce.
She told Grand Island City Council members during a Tuesday night study session that the Main Street program has led to the reinvestment of 462 volunteer hours, five building renovations at a value of $581,000, a public investment of $89,000, and three new businesses and 15 new jobs.
All in all, it's been a total reinvestment of $678,651 compared to a Main Street cost of about $36,000.
Nebraska Lied Main Street Director J.L. Schmidt said Grand Island's first-year participation and success with the program has been so incredible, the state's Main Street leaders are recommending Grand Island's program be recognized as a national Main Street program.
Of about 2,000 Main Street communities nationwide, only about 450 hold that special national recognition, he said.
The Main Street program focuses on economic restructuring, design, promotions and organization said Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Johnson. The chamber is contracted to manage the day-to-day operations of the downtown business improvement district.
Bootsma said many goals have been carried out through projects such as a downtown clean-up day, a merchandising and marketing workshop and developing design guidelines for redevelopment and future building projects.
Entrance signs have been installed, a economic survey conducted and upper-level housing has been show-cased through Upstairs Downtown tours.
The Downtown Center, Chicken Coop, Martin building, GAR building, old City Hall, JEO, Maudie's, Harmony building and Connie Swanson Photography have all undergone facade improvements.
More properties are working on facade improvement designs including the Grand Theatre, Howard's Jewelry, Wayne's Cyclery and Island Pool and Spa, Bootsma said.
The projects remaining are the more complex, more costly projects, Johnson said.
On the vision list are streetscape projects such as public art, sculptures and a redo of the gazebo park. It's also working on business recruitment, the implementation of directional horns to reduce train noise in the downtown and is working with the Community Redevelopment Authority to issue grants for fire sprinkler installation in downtown buildings.
The downtown is hoping for corner sidewalk "bump outs" at Third and Wheeler to slow traffic and enhance the physical appearance of the downtown.
It's also working on a downtown musical festival and is discussing parking solutions, Bootsma said.
Councilmen Bob Meyer, Bob Niemann and Larry Carney doubted much parking change was needed. All remembered the downtown as a vibrant, bustling community in the 1960s when less parking was available.
Johnson said whatever future projects are desired will be included in the next five-year plan for the downtown. It's current improvement district expires Sept. 30, 2008 and must be recreated to continue.
Council President Mitch Nickerson said he hopes the downtown will focus on the gazebo park area, which is currently "a lot of wasted space."
When he asked the downtown to grade itself on the past five years, Johnson said she would give the downtown a C+ or B-
"We have a ways to go," she said.
Nickerson concurred with the C, but praised the downtown for "whittling away" at myriad projects.
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