Pedaling Downtown

Pedaling Downtown

I love my corner office and watching the excitement of downtown build. The Re Ride bikes are more than a bike share program, they are our wheels in motion. Murals, a shared artist work space, the art loan program, concerts, and events are all creating a diverse downtown economy and a vibe that is rolling right along. Downtown is almost…cool.
 
I cruised up and down Warren and Central as a teen, stood across the street when the fire burned Mary’s Shop to the ground, and met my husband at the Depot. I love our downtown and every memory it has given me.
 
I asked my teen son what would make him want to stay in Wyoming after college. Long before I became the Director of the DDA, he said, “if the downtown was cool.”  Wow. How can I help make that happen, I remember thinking.
 
For the last three years, as a private citizen, I have been trying to fill the hole, find a solution to the Hynds, keep business downtown, and create affordable housing in the area. The hole is a key element. Unless we fix that missing tooth, the downtown will never have a beautiful smile.
 
During this last year I have been working on downtown revitalization even more and at the DDA we have made progress on a downtown parking utilization study, addressing safety, the West Edge, created the Core Plan, the Hynds is about to be redeveloped, and we’ve supported the current grocery stores downtown while trying to recruit a larger one. We have infused arts and culture into the area and the hole might be filled soon. There are many other areas being addressed daily by us and many others. I am so thankful for all of the hard work and efforts of all of the stakeholders in the area and interested parties.
 
Downtown revitalization is a community effort and requires a consensus and desire of the public sector, the private sector, and our elected officials to make it happen.

It happens one project at a time and each project requires a champion.
 
It’s an uphill climb and it’s slow. A lot of people can’t handle the pace, the intensity, and the adversity. Some people just want to climb on and ride the wave. Others, they can’t see the vision at all.
 
Despite that, we must keep on pedaling.