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Economic benefits seen in Chardon Square
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - March 26, 2009)
Economic benefits seen in Chardon Square
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
The City of Chardon will move forward with a formal plan to revitalize Chardon Square.
"We will be moving forward, that I can assure you," Councilman Philip King said last week. "The time is right for us to start doing this."
His comments came after city and community leaders listened to a presentation from Jeffrey Siegler about the Heritage Ohio Main Street Program, which provides resources and guidance in establishing the formal program.
Mr. Siegler, director of revitalization for the program, met with about 50 business representatives, property owners, city representatives and residents, to detail the program's organizational makeup and workings.
While most view the program as a way to preserve a community's historic buildings, Mr. Siegler said, it also provides economic stimulus.
"It's all about preservation, but I think, more importantly, economic development through historic preservation is what the Main Street program is about," he said.
He said Chardon Square represents the heart of the community, and saving it is the largest investment the city will ever make. Downtowns, once a gathering place for the community, have lost its place in today's society, Mr. Siegler said. The federal highway system has produced "Generica," where strip malls and big-box stores have replaced the locally owned businesses that once were an integral part of a community, he said.
Rather than continue with urban sprawl, he said, communities should be looking at reinvesting in their existing businesses.
He said a look at where the money spent at businesses goes, shows the importance of keeping local businesses vibrant. For every dollar spent on the Amazon Web site, zero money is returned to the community, Mr. Siegler said. Walmart purchases return 14 cents, and a CVS drugstore returns 24 cents to the community, he said. The locally owned Sebastian's restaurant returns 64 cents to the community, he said.
"You really need to consider, 'Are you spending your money responsibly, are you putting it where it matters, or is all of leaving your community forever?'" Mr. Siegler said.
The program uses a four-point program to work toward creating a vibrant community. It uses organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring to save and reuse its community center, he said.
The community begins by organizing a board of directors, who put in place a strategic plan for the redevelopment, he said. A project manager is hired, usually as a full-time position in communities of 5,000 or more. Typically, Mr. Siegler said, it has an annual $60,000 budget with most of it going to the project manager's salary.
He said it is a public-private venture that must be adopted by the entire community.
The City of Kent, one of 37 member communities in the program, recently completed a $4 million renovation of a building. It now has 14 prospective tenants for four spaces in that building, he said.
He said for every $1 invested, $20 is returned to the community.
Mr. Siegler said there is no "silver bullet" to solve problems, such as vacancies, cleanliness or safety, but a program that tackles small problems one at a time. "It's incremental in nature, it doesn't happen overnight," he said.
He said the board of directors must be the right community leaders who represent the varied interest of a community. The directors provide a uniform plan, rather than having individual groups that may duplicate efforts, Mr. Siegler said. "Until you have that structure, it's all over the place," he said.
Mr. King said the number of those who turned out for the meeting and their enthusiasm for the program shows that the community is ready for the approach.
He said a follow-up meeting will be planned. In the meantime, he said, various groups, such as the chamber of commerce and the Chardon Square Association, will be brought together to explore formation of a board of directors and a strategic plan.
Mr. Siegler said Chardon is fortunate in that it already has a well-cared for center of town. "You have an incredible downtown," he said. "Your square is awesome. He said it is apparent that the town already has the passion for the project and organizations in place to aid it.
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