Economic Development Workshop Planned to Help Revitalize Downtown Areas
Day-long workshop will help community leaders, business and property owners focus on downtown areas to attract visitors and jobs. Discounted registration is available through Wednesday.
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The Illinois and Michigan Canal Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is co-sponsoring an economic development workshop with the National Trust for Historic Preservation from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6.
“Why Main Streets Matter! Bringing Visitors to Your Small Business,” will take place at the Gaylord Building, 200 W. 8th Street in Lockport.
Lauren Adkins, nationally recognized for her work with hundreds of communities, will facilitate the event, discussing myriad aspects of downtown revitalization and economic development.
The day-long workshop will allow municipal leaders, economic development directors, planners, elected officials, chamber of commerce executives and members, as well as small business and property owners, an opportunity to focus on downtown revitalization to bring visitors -- and jobs -- to these important commercial areas.
“Community leaders know where their ‘main street’ is, and why it matters to their community’s economic stability,” said CVB President and CEO Bob Navarro. “Our facilitator will help participants focus on how to rejuvenate those areas, and bring visitors, customers -- and jobs. Lauren Adkins is clearly a heavy-hitter who knows how to revitalize downtowns.”
Adkins has worked with the National Trust Main Street Center and served as neighborhood commercial district program executive director in Arlington, Virginia. She also guest-lectures at numerous prestigious universities and runs a successful consulting business. She holds a BA in Art and Archaeology from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and attended the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation in New York.
As space is limited, advance registration is encouraged. To register, call 815-588-7940 or visit www.HeritageCorridorCVB.com, and click on members and events. For CVB members and National Trust members/partners, the cost of registration is $20 per person, and includes lunch. Non-member registration with lunch is $25. After Jan. 23, all registration costs $35 per person.
The Heritage Corridor CVB generates economic impact among the communities and counties along the historic Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor. Information on the CVB is available by calling 800-926-2262 (CANAL), or visiting www.HeritageCorridorCVB.com.
Editor’s note: The information above is from a press release issued by the Illinois and Michigan Canal Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau. For a glimpse into Lemont’s long history with the I & M Canal, revisit this March 6, 2012 Lemont Patch blog by Bob Navarro, president/CEO of Heritage Corridor Convention & Visitors Bureau.
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Edward Andrysiak
12:22 pm on Saturday, January 26, 2013
I'll give you the fact that you need an attractive downtown area to get folks to stop and shop. A lot of time and energy is rightly spent on that aspect of "saving our downtown." I give high scores to that effort as well. However, you have to accept the fact that people are not going to come here BECAUSE of your downtown. There are simply too many other places to spend money. The goal then needs to be to offer them something in Lemont that they do not have where they live (the big city) in Chicago for example. A testiment to this concept is the bikers who we see regularily because they do not have the kind of bike opportunities where they live. So, more emphasis on things OTHER than the downtown are perhaps more important as a draw to the area. To that end we should recognize our river, canal and quarry areas as our draw and develop the recreational aspects of Lemont that we can offer visitors...who will come and hopefully spend a buck in our local businesses. A good example is a campground in Crescent Cilty Illinois about an hour and a half away. It has a 200 site campground that attracts people who contribute millions to the local economy every year. You have to get them here first, then you can expect them to visit your eating places and the like and spend a buck! Are we looking at the wrong thing when emphasising our "downtown" development only ...I think so.
Kerry
8:10 am on Sunday, January 27, 2013
What type of campground is in Cresent City? They must have more campers than residents.
Ray
9:50 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
With no where to park people get frustrated. Start with a parking garage. This conversation has been going on for years. If you truly want to help then listen to what you have been told for 10+ years. Then have village become an advocate to businesses rather than a nuisance. Make is easier for businesses to WANT to come and stay.