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Opinion Volunteers drive downtown revitalization
Volunteers drive downtown revitalization
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Sure, Northeast Oregon takes pleasure in its open spaces and slower
paces. But there comes a time when economic anxiety raises to a point
where a blueprint is needed from which can be built opportunities for
maintaining and enhancing commercial vitality. With strong volunteer support and action, the La Grande Main Street program, which kicks off Thursday, has the potential for providing such a blueprint. With four committees working diligently in the trenches, the program promises to contribute to downtown vitality. People wanting to be a part of this grassroots effort to transform the downtown should attend the La Grande Main Street kickoff event from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday. The event will take place in the Colleen F. Johnson meeting room of the Cook Memorial Library. The meeting is a chance for people to help shape the future of downtown La Grande. Those attending will get a chance to learn more about the Main Street program and how they can get involved. Participants will get a chance to sign up for four committees formed to carry out Main Street initiatives and revitalize the business district. In these times when downtowns are losing some of their former glory as social and cultural hubs and much growth is happening on the edges of town, La Grande is wise to ramp up its involvement in the Oregon Main Street Program. Revitalizing downtown business districts throughout the state is the goal of this ambitious program, which falls under the umbrella of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and nationwide involves more than 1,600 cities in 40 states. Obviously, there are models out there for successful maintenance and enhancement of the downtown core, and La Grande is wise to look at those models for inspiration. The Main Street program espouses some important values. These include community self-reliance, empowerment and the rebuilding of commercial districts based on such attributes as personal service, local ownership and a sense of community, According to La Grande Community and Economic Development Director Charlie Mitchell, volunteers are essential to the revitalization effort. Work done in the trenches is critical. It will go a long way toward helping preserve important pieces of La Grande’s past while maintaining and enhancing the commercial vitality of the downtown for the future. |
