Success
Stories
Downtown Chillicothe Annual Events
Main Street
Chillicothe, in cooperation with the city of
Chillicothe Streets Department, placed flower pots this
morning throughout downtown Chillicothe. Beth Weidner, owner
of Weeds Greenhouse, produced the flowers this season.
To purchase a flower pot or for more information,
contact Main Street Chillicothe at 660-646-4071.
C-T
Photo / Lisa Houtchens, May 22, 2008
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Main
Street Strum & Stroll
Strum and Stroll Attracts Large Crowd Downtown
By LAURA SCHULER/C-T City Editor,
Monday, October 9, 2006
 CAPTION:
Downtown Chillicothe came alive with music and entertainment Saturday afternoon when Main Street Chillicothe and the Chillicothe Area Arts Council hosted Strum and Stroll. The day featured musical entertainment, artist exhibits and hands-on children's arts and theatre activities. The event is hoped to be held annually.
C-T Photos/Catherine Stortz Ripley
Over 800 people of all ages attended this weekend's Strum and Stroll held around the courthouse square and event organizers have declared the first-ever event a success.
“We had more people than we expected for our first-time event,” Main Street Chillicothe Director
Crystal Narr said. She added, “We are very pleased with the turnout.”
The event, which was held on Jackson Street from Washington to Locust Street, Locust Street from Jackson to Webster Street and Webster Street from Washington to Locust Street, featured a variety of entertainment and activities for the entire family.
The event was sponsored by Main Street Chillicothe, the Missouri Arts Council, Midwest Quality Gloves, Citizens Bank & Trust, Bank Midwest, Chillicothe State Bank, Investor's National bank, Farmer's Electric Cooperative and the Rotary Foundation.
Churan reported that three bands played throughout the afternoon including, “Steel,” a percussion band of members from Kansas City and St. Joseph, the Chris Talley Trio, a bluegrass band from St. Louis, and the Dustin Thomas Band, featuring Chillicothe native, Dustin Thomas. The group performed blues music.
“The entertainment was very well received,” Churan said. She added that approximately 200 people attended each performance with a different crowd for each show.
The Strum and Stroll also featured an arts and crafts area for children between 3 and 14 years-old. In the area, children made tambourines, “crazy” hats made from Constitution-Tribune newspaper and stained glass candle holders. Churan said that there were around 500 children participating in the arts and crafts area, which was staffed by volunteers.
The Strum and Stroll also featured an interactive art theater, headed by event volunteer Sue Bachman. The theater was based on Aesop's Fables and Churan said there were three showings throughout the day.
 Matching
Grants Programs
In 2003, two
featured items were a matching grants program for the
downtown Lauhoff
Jewelry building and the additional murals that were completed in the
city. In the photo at left, a local painter applies sealer to the brick facade
of the store located at 620 Washington Street. The building's owner applied
and was approved for $5,000 in matching grant funds from the Main Street
Chillicothe program. The building dates back to the late 1870's and early
1880's according to Main Street Chillicothe records, and has housed various
businesses over the decades including a dry goods store and a beauty parlor.
Lauhoff purchased the 120x180' building in 2002 after having operated his
business there for 27 years. When renovation work was completed, the store's
facade featured a new coat of paint, new windows, and a new awning. In 2002,
the building next door at 618 Washington Street was renovated with new second
story windows, a new awning, and a new coat of paint. "The matching grant
program is a great thing for helping the downtown business owners,"
Lauhoff said. "Otherwise, it would be kind of expensive to do repairs.
And, it makes the downtown area look better." Main Street's matching
grant program encourages property owners to restore the fronts of their
buildings.
In 2005, Ed
Robertson Investments & Insurance and Robertson Motor at 417 and 415
Locust Street, respectively, received new awnings and signage after building
and business owners Ed and Patrice Robertson partnered with Main Street
Chillicothe's facade renovation and improvement program. The mural above the
awning at Robertson Motor was painted by local artist Kelly Poling. The
buildings date back to 1939 and first housed Arnold and Mills Lumber Co. and
Paint store.
The building that
formerly housed Calico Pony at 612 Washington Street was also refurbished as
was the adjoining building that houses Friends at 608 Washington Street. The
facades of both buildings were renovated with funds from Main Street
Chillicothe's facade renovation and improvement program. Both buildings date
back to circa 1884 and have housed businesses including clothing, hardware,
and millinery stores.
For more information about this,
visit the Matching Grant page on this web site, or please email
Crystal. (Photo
by Chillicothe's Constitution Tribune)
BooFest and the
Annual Chillicothe Holiday Parade
In October, Main Street works with the Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce to
organize the annual BooFest. This event brings children and their
parents to the downtown area between 4 and 6 p.m. to collect candy from the
downtown merchants. A record number of youngsters are "treated" each
year. In late November, Main Street coordinates the Jenkins Lighting ceremony
and the Mayor's Christmas Lighting event with the Chamber of Commerce. These
events, along with the annual Holiday Parade (held the Saturday before
Thanksgiving each year) bring scores of people to town to watch and
participate in the activities. Many other events and fundraisers follow the parade
providing revenue opportunities for businesses, groups, and organizations.
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| BooFest |
Holiday
Parade |
Downtown Murals
 The
mural program in 2003 included more than $24,000 for four murals, repainting
the Graham Mill mural and historic advertising on the John Anderson tire
building and the former Winkelmeyer building. A mural brochure for use in
marketing was also first completed in December, 2003, and new brochures are
published as needed today. In addition, Main Street developed post cards, prints, and note cards
featuring the murals which are sold in area hotels and shops. Plans are underway with Chillicothe
Municipal Utilities to light all murals and place plaques to depict the
history if funds are available. By the end of 2004, five more
murals were completed, along with a new brochure and new marketing ideas
for 10 or 12 locations. A grant application is being prepared through a local
foundation in hopes that 100% of the mural expenses can be met. Citizens Bank
& trust sponsored a mural on the south wall near their drive-up on
Locust Street. Kelly Poling, local artist, depicted an 1890 teller window
with people standing inside the bank. The next mural consisted of an agricultural
mural in the 700 block of Washington on the former Action Rental building. The
Girl Scouts also sponsored a new youth mural which can be viewed from
Washington Street next door to the Beijing Restaurant. Several other murals
are also in development, including a mural for The
Home of Sliced Bread. For more information, visit our Downtown Walking
Tour page on this web site.
Other Projects
 The
Main Street office worked extensively on funds for the Strand
Hotel project,
marketed the downtown Winkelmeyer
building, mapped the downtown to market and find occupants for vacant
structures, and did extensive research for state and federal funding. The
local office also finalized the 2001 NAP project with the final report,
including a project monitored by the state NAP program, as well as working to
enhance Main Street committees and holding monthly meetings. The group also
plans to work with the county commissioners in hopes of placing a nice signage
board on the west side of the courthouse in the grassy area. The sign would
carry upcoming events and programs. A study of the code manual and enforcement
for historic buildings, as well as office, business space, and loft apartments
on the second stories of downtown buildings are also being planned. In 2005,
the Strand Hotel renovation was completed with
an Open House and Ribbon Cutting held on October 20.
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Main
Street's Four Point Approach
The Main Street
methodology addresses the following four areas of concern and combines
activities in these areas to develop a community's individual strategy for
redeveloping downtown. They are organization, promotion, design, and economic
restructuring.
1.) ORGANIZATION
The Main Street approach to downtown revitalization requires the
effort of the entire community. The merchants, property owners, local
government officials, and civic leaders must agree to support common goals for
revitalization and join together in a partnership. The downtown development
organization and the local Main Street program manager are key players. A
local program manager is necessary to act as an advocate for the downtown and
to coordinate the various efforts of individuals and groups to ensure that all
are working together to develop the downtown.
2.) PROMOTION
The promotion of the downtown as a single, unified commercial area – in
the same way that a major shopping mall is promoted – will help attract
customers and strengthen Main Street's role as a viable business center. The
downtown organization can coordinate an aggressive promotion and marketing
campaign that includes a program of special events and business promotions. If
it is to thrive, the downtown must improve both its self-image and the image
it projects to potential customers and investors.
3.) DESIGN
Good design is essential to all aspects of downtown revitalization. The Main
Street design philosophy is not a "purist" preservation approach,
but one that seeks to utilize and enhance those elements of quality design
that remain in each building. Good design must be extended to include
promotional literature, store window and merchandise displays, public building
improvements, and street amenities.
4.) ECONOMIC
RESTRUCTURING
Economic restructuring seeks to change the ways in which downtown
"works" by restoring many of the elements that Main Street has lost
over the past few decades. While many small downtowns may not regain their
dominance as primary retail centers, careful economic and market analysis
usually confirms that they can maintain economic strength by diversifying the
present mix of retail uses and by attracting new retail and non-retail
functions, including office, recreation services, and residential uses. Retail
and business retention and recruitment, development of effective merchandising
techniques, encouraging entrepreneurial reuse of upper stories for downtown
housing and office space, and better utilization of existing and potential
recreational assets are all aspects of economic restructuring.
Successful Main
Street programs are usually structured as a non-profit corporation guided by
an active working board. Four standing committees that correspond to the four
points develop projects and work plans for implementation. Local programs hire
a paid director to help coordinate the efforts of volunteers and implement the
program.
The Main Street
program has access to technical and educational assistance, as well as
networking with other Main Street programs. Main Street communities are
willing to share information and experiences about projects and events that
have been successful, as well as those that were unsuccessful.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
National
Main Street Center | Missouri
Main Street Connection | National
Trust for Historic Preservation
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