Greenfield residents are invited to a meeting where a group of Greenfield community advocates, with the support of the village of Greenfield, are partnering with Heritage OHIO to answer questions and guide the community through the process of becoming a Main Street Community.
The Greenfield – It’s Your Town Community Presentation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 4 at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 250 Lafayette St., Greenfield.
The Downtown Assessment Resource Team (DART) visit will be held April 4-5 in Greenfield. The team consists of downtown revitalization experts who will tour the downtown and meet with community members and advocates to gain a better understanding of downtown revitalization. Downtown issues will be identified and addressed throughout the course of the visit. A specific plan will be created and delivered to the community, with recommendations to address all the concerns and lay out a clear path for downtown revitalization success, Destiny Bryson, executive director of the Visitors Bureau of Highland County, said in a news release.
The process, referred to as The Main Street Program, helps local communities take a look at its assets as well as its challenges. It is designed to set priorities and provide the direction needed for basic building blocks of operations, marketing, design and economic growth specific to Greenfield, the news release said.
“At the meeting they will tell those in attendance, ‘Here’s the assets you have, let’s find the gaps and make it better, and enhance some things you have going on to attract visitors to downtown,’” Bryson said Wednesday.
She said the DART group will present some its initial ideas to improve the downtown area then ask community members at the meeting what they envision for downtown Greenfield.
“In order for a DART visit to be successful the local community needs to be engaged. The greater the community support and participation, the more value the community will realize from the process,” the news release said.
The Main Street Program works by using a Four-Point methodology, creating a total image for the community: providing the retail/professional area with its necessary market niche, creating a united visual identity unique to Greenfield, and nurturing the culture associated with Greenfield’s location, appearance and way of life. The Main Street Approach builds on existing resources and encourages community collaboration with residents, community leaders and business owners, the news release said.
For the program to move forward toward becoming a Main Street Community, Bryson said the group would have to hire a staff member to serve in at least a part-time position.
If you are unable to attend the first meeting and are interested in becoming an active participant, contact Bryson at 614-440-1885 or [email protected]. To stay updated on the program, join the group on Facebook @GreenfieldItsYourTown.
