From Galion Main Street
On Wednesday, October 11, representatives of the new Galion Main Street initiative were in downtown Dayton to attend the Ohio Main Street Conference, hosted by Heritage Ohio.
The annual event brings together downtown revitalization advocates from across the state for two and a half days of educational sessions, workshops, tours, and networking opportunities. This year’s conference was held in the historic Dayton Arcade. The Arcade is an interconnected collection of nine buildings built about 1902 with tens of thousands of square feet for conference, business, residential, and arts uses. The buildings defied disinvestment and were saved after a $100 million “capital stack” was amassed that involved investment, tax credits, grants, and other revenue sources.
Galion Main Street board members were able to hear first-hand about the latest tools and techniques for successful revitalization at work in other Ohio communities – including technology to attract visitors and customers, the power of public art in downtown, putting together available economic incentives for downtown property and business owners, and much more.
Case in point – both of the local members attended a session on establishing regional corridors to maximize opportunities for promotion and investment. “These types of corridors can be based on physical or cultural connections between communities,” Galion Main Street Board Member Thomas Palmer shared. “The idea is that through cooperation and coordination, each location benefits much more than they would if going solely on their own.”
“Attending the Ohio Main Street Conference was valuable for Galion Main Street,” said David Zak, President & CEO of the Crawford Partnership and Board Member of Galion Main Street. “The networking with other communities and insights gleaned from the sessions will help inform and inspire us as we continue our downtown revitalization efforts.”
Support for Galion’s participation in the conference came from both Heritage Ohio and the Crawford Partnership.
The local representatives will now share what they learned with other members of the Galion Main Street Board. Interested in learning more and getting involved? Contact any Board member to be put on our current communications list.
