posted on September 03, 2009 17:36
Editor's Note: We're fortunate enough to have the manager of one of our local Michigan Main Street communities, Travis Alden of Manistee Main Street DDA, as our guest blogger this week. Prior to moving back to Michigan, Travis spent several years doing community/downtown development work in Iowa. We haven't done the word count, but we think he might have beat Portland's Patrick Reagan for longest post. It's a good read. Enjoy!
By Travis B. Alden
Manistee Main Street DDA Director
You know, it's pretty cool to be new. When people talk about something being "new" it typically is accompanied by descriptive words like "exciting" or "energy" or "car smell". Here in Manistee two out of those three complimentary words have been used quite a bit in the last twelve months since we became the 13th Selected-Level community with the Michigan Main Street Program. Since January, I myself have been the "new guy" but something tells me that after 8 months on the job I should probably stop introducing myself as Manistee's "new Main Street DDA Director." Darn.
I think maybe the best part about being new to a community or to a specific job (in my case, both) is seeing everything through fresh eyes. My family and I moved here in the dead of winter in early January and even then my wife and I would make a point to drive down to the beach and gaze at Lake Michigan...just because it was there. We'd never lived so close to so much water. I remember walking the sidewalks downtown to become acquainted with the physical landscape and the businesses, and just being blown away at every turn by the Victorian architecture. Although I still learn more about my community every day, unfortunately some of these things unavoidably become part of the routine background of my daily experience.
This fact smacked me right in the kisser earlier this week during a Mayor's Exchange with the City of Frankenmuth. Back in May I was invited to join a group of Manistee City officials and head east to visit Frankenmuth, tour their city and learn about their municipal operations. It was my first time there and needless to say, I was impressed. I'll definitely be back.
It was their turn to come out to Manistee a few days ago, and most of their contingent hadn't been here before. Spending time with their City officials and staff, touring my own community, helped me to see Manistee through fresh eyes again. What was new to them became new again to me. They were blown away by the same things that I was when I first got here, and I quickly found myself outwardly beaming with pride for a community that I've called home for less than a year.
But that is precisely what's so great about this line of work - you immediately become professionally and personally invested in the downtown area and the entire community. I definitely learned some new things about Manistee during the tour, in particular about our 1888 Fire House (how the old-school city-wide alarm system worked) and a couple of hilarious nuggets about our historic Ramsdell Theatre (I'll just say they involve whose likenesses were painted into the murals in the lobby over 100 years ago).
Think about it - what in your community inspires visitors to pull out their cameras yet blends into the background for you, who sees it multiple times every day? Every community has them; unique buildings, natural wonders, things that you would call true attractions. Many of these things tend to be focused within our traditional downtown districts - a result of natural design trends and community building that to this day still "work" for downtowns.
Taking a community's (specifically a downtown's) most prized assets for granted is something that almost everyone is surely guilty of at one time or another. I believe this happens far too often and is one of the reasons that traditional downtowns have struggled in the face of suburban sprawl in over the past few decades. People can forget what makes their community special. However, Main Street is built to change that. Our programs focus on our strengths, celebrate our uniquenesses and promote our assets. A significant part of any "buy local" campaign is simply reminding the public what is right in front of them.
Just the other day one of our downtown merchants told me about an encounter she had with a customer. The customer was looking around the inside of the store - obviously it was her first time shopping there. The merchant, of course, approached the customer and happily asked if she could be of any assistance.
Customer: "This is a beautiful store."
Merchant: "Why, thank you very much!"
Customer: "Did you just open?"
Merchant: "Actually we've been open for over five years."
Customer: "Five years? Oh my goodness. Has it been that long since I've come downtown?"
Obviously it had. The kicker? After some more chit-chat the merchant discovered that the customer lives only a few blocks away. This store has quickly become an anchor in our downtown retail district, and has regular customers who come from over 100 miles away just to shop there. Yet permanent residents within easy walking distance don't even know it exists. What's wrong with this picture?
For individuals who have missed out on the local downtown experience for a good long while, chances are there have been plenty of changes so when they decide to head downtown again it will truly be a case of seeing new things and having that fresh experience that breeds excitement and energy. (see, those two words again...) I guess what I'm trying to say is that anyone working to strengthen their downtown district should make sure that you not only promote the downtown to locals, but give them multiple reasons rediscover what many have inadvertently been forgotten: downtown is a cool place to be.