A downtown report card

There is no doubt that a downtown in any community is the raison d’être – the heart of that community – and the need to keep that heart healthy lies with a keen emphasis on continuous downtown focus and revitalization.The phrase “downtown revitalization” is a buzz phrase that has been circulating now since the mid-1990s when box stores, strip malls and online shopping became the preferred method of shopping. Here in buggy town we have seen our Main Street renewed to a most pleasing state with replica gas lighting, refurbished storefronts, new shrubbery and sidewalks and even a rotation of stores and restaurants. But is it enough? Was that initial investment in “our heart” enough?The question at hand, “Do we need to continue to invest valuable resources in our downtown?”What is the current state of our downtown? What can we do to keep it pumping lifeblood into our community? GO!