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Main Street Reimagined Podcast
This is a podcast for dreamers, creators, developers, and entrepreneurs to learn, share, and be inspired to change your community through small business.
Main Street Reimagined Podcast
Episode 30: What Exactly is Downtown Marion, Inc? A Conversation with Allen & Cheryl
This episode shines a light on the transformative efforts of Downtown Marion Inc, currently being led by Executive Director Allen Wilson and Board President Cheryl Wickersham. They share how the organization serves to inform and unite downtown stakeholders to work toward a shared vision of a vibrant downtown ecosystem. They also share about the journey DMI has been on, in order to become a Main Street Affiliate through Heritage Ohio, and the recent statewide training held in Marion!
Learn about local DMI events that help put downtown feet on the street, such as the Lighted Truck Parade, Third Thursdays, and the Taste of Downtown Marion, which not only elevate businesses but also highlight local talent and culture. Discover how youth engagement is shaping the future, as high schoolers embark on tours to explore their downtown, developing a sense of pride and ownership in their community, as well as upcoming projects, such as expanded public art.
Join us for an inspiring conversation that proves that a unified community can create a vibrant and sustainable downtown.
Guest Links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DowntownMarionOhio
Main Street Reimagined:
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The Main Street Reimagined Podcast, Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqfkmF5bRH0od1d3iiYKs3oEn_gvMYk7N
Henry Development Group:
Facebook: facebook.com/henrydevelopmentgroup
Website: www.henrydevelopmentgroup.com
Developing News Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/33110524eb5c/developing-news
Luke Henry:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/luhenry
Facebook: facebook.com/luke.henry.148
#MainStreetReimagined #DowntownMarion #MarionOhio #CommunityRevitalization #HeritageOhio #SupportLocal #ShopSmall #DowntownEvents #LightedTruckParade #ThirdThursdays #TasteOfDowntown #PublicArt #LocalTalent #YouthEngagement #VibrantDowntown #SmallTownStrong #CommunityMatters #EconomicDevelopment #HistoricPreservation #DowntownEcosystem
That was one of the big eye-openers for doing tours like those is the first youth leadership tour that I did in downtown Marion. One of the locations that we went to was Spruce and Sparrow and later that night I got a message from the store owner, jenny, that said you won't believe it. One of the girls from your tour today brought her mother back because she said her mom would love it and she told us that afternoon that she had planned on doing it.
Speaker 2:This is the Main Street Reimagined podcast, a show for people ready to turn visions into realities and ideas into businesses. Hey, I'm Luke Henry and each week I lead conversations with Main Street Dreamers who took the leap to launch a business, renovate a building or start a movement, their ideas, their mindsets and their inspirations, as well as some of the highs and lows along the way. This is a place for dreamers, creators, developers and entrepreneurs to learn, share and be inspired to change your community through small business. Enjoy the show.
Speaker 3:Hey friends, luke Henry here and this is the Main Street Reimagined Podcast. Thanks so much for being with us for the 30th episode of this podcast and I'm excited today to have a couple of friends with me Alan Wilson and Cheryl Wickersham from Downtown Marion Inc. If you've never heard of Downtown Marion Inc or we're probably going to refer to it as DMI a lot during the conversation today you are going to know by the end of this episode exactly what DMI is and does and adds a lot of value to our downtown. So thanks so much both of you for being here with me today Absolutely.
Speaker 1:You're welcome.
Speaker 3:And we will start with a little bit of just introduction of what Downtown Marion Inc is what you do, and then we'll kind of dig in from there. So, alan, maybe you'll share that.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So Downtown Marion Inc was established roughly in 1999 out of an initiative through the chamber to ask the community what they wanted to see happen in their community. So a wide variety of those were that they wanted to see their downtown brought back to life. So A wide variety of those were that they wanted to see their downtown brought back to life. So Downtown Marion Inc, a 501c3 nonprofit, was formed out of that initiative and we've been working on it ever since to ensure that Downtown Marion is a place to shop, live, explore and play.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a good explanation. I never actually heard that history before, so I've already learned something in the first two minutes of the podcast here. So great, uh, and I should uh include as part of the introduction here I apologize. So Alan is the executive director of downtown Marion Inc. And Cheryl is the current board president. Uh, so, uh, they are kind of uh yin and yang on some things here, as they're just coming fresh off of a great accomplishment with Downtown Marion becoming official Main Street organization. And again, for those that haven't heard that news or don't understand what that means, will you walk us through what exactly it means to be a Main Street organization and how all that came about?
Speaker 4:Well, first we're Heritage Ohio affiliate organization. We're not officially a Main Street until next year.
Speaker 3:Okay, okay, thank you for that distinction One step closer. Yes, it's a full process.
Speaker 1:It is a full process. So we've been diligently working the last three years to get to this point. Since the conception of the organization, we have worked on the four-point approach, which is economic vitality, promotions, design and organization. With working through those, we've ensured that we stay with that footprint.
Speaker 1:Heritage Ohio has come to town multiple times and done some conferences with us, but once you become an affiliate organization, you open it up to be allowed to host their quarterly trainings for all of Ohio. So with us receiving that accreditation as an affiliate organization in January, they said why don't you guys host the first quarterly training of 2025? The first quarterly training of 2025. So we welcomed all of the other Heritage Ohio Main Street organizations to Marion last Tuesday for an all-day conference. So we had roughly 95 people come to Marion from other communities throughout Ohio, full-day training. And then we followed it up with a networking event at Fable where we announced to everybody that DMI had become an affiliated organization. So we'll work this year closely with Heritage Ohio and they will give us a list of tweaks that we need to do to ensure that we're following the right path and then in 2026, we will hopefully become a national registered.
Speaker 4:Main Street organization.
Speaker 3:So it will be a national accreditation, so it will be nice yeah yeah, and so those that haven't heard of Heritage Ohio Heritage Ohio is the kind of statewide uh organization that's focused on um preservation, economic development and uh just flourishing in uh downtown.
Speaker 3:I don't know that that's officially their state admission statement, but you know that's the kind of the idea that they're working kind of at a state level with advocacy and then kind of helping lead this, these different initiatives, with all the individual downtowns around Ohio and helping create just vitality and revitalization efforts in all these different areas. So it's it's got to be really cool to know that you have all of these kind of brothers and sisters in the effort right and and to meet them and to hear their stories. And it's amazing, isn't it Like, how much the stories overlap you know, how much?
Speaker 3:how much their stories, some of their challenges and everything just sound very similar.
Speaker 1:They are very similar and it's great to be able to connect with them, because then you're brought to realization that you aren't alone in this journey. So a lot of times, if we don't have the answer yet, a lot of times another one of those organizations or communities do, and we're able to bounce back and forth off of each other.
Speaker 4:Alan's been attending the Heritage Ohio conferences for a couple years or more, and I was fortunate enough to attend two last year, and I think what I came away with is we do know what we're doing. There's some things that we're doing that other communities are learning from us.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, yeah, I've attended some of the conferences as well before and I came away similarly just like, hey, we're doing a lot of the right things. It's slow process sometimes. You know to do what we're doing in terms of fixing up old buildings and creating and helping new businesses and just creating a new district in our downtown, a new place for people to be anchored to and have community, be anchored to and have community and those can be challenging efforts and you know to know that others are doing it too and to exchange best practices and everything is definitely so, so, very helpful. So so you had this training here. Share a little bit about what some of the content was from from that full day training what some of the content was from that full day training.
Speaker 1:One of the big takeaways was the collaboration between DMI and the downtown businesses to ensuring that their vitality is continuous within the downtown. So we had a panel discussion with three downtown business owners. Heidi Jones, with the chamber, led that conversation as kind of a neutral party in the conversation and the businesses or communities that were here were ecstatic with how we have managed to collaborate with the downtown businesses. We have managed to collaborate with the downtown businesses. We all meet with the downtown businesses once a month in a downtown collaborative to ensure that not only our voices are heard but their voices are heard to ensure everybody's on the same page. So a lot of them do not have that. So a lot of them we're taking back.
Speaker 1:We've got a downtown Facebook page dedicated just to business owners and DMI, so a lot of them were taking that away. They're going to go back and start something like that. We also try and do text or email thread with them if we have something major going on and a lot of them had not ventured off into that yet. So there are a lot of them. We're going to take off with that as well.
Speaker 3:Those are really good. If there's somebody out there listening that you're doing this kind of work in your downtown, maybe you have an official downtown-type organization like we have. Maybe it's an official Main Street, maybe not. Maybe it's a loose collaboration of business owners. I've seen it all different ways in different small towns that we visited. But, man, the communication is so much of the key, right.
Speaker 4:And very big key.
Speaker 3:And when people get frustrated or you have kind of infighting and stuff, it's typically traced back to there was some miscommunication about the way an event was going to be handled or that the street was going to be shut down at a certain time or whatever, and you know people can get very frustrated when that communication lapses. So some of those tools that you guys have put in place while I'm sure not always perfect, still are a big step in the right direction to continue to just try to keep that line of communication open both ways.
Speaker 1:Yes, and we have roughly 20 downtown businesses that show up to each meeting, so it's a good number that come. Sometimes it's less, sometimes it's more, but we ensure, no matter what if they can't make it, that we post everything that we've discussed in the meeting. So, no matter what, everybody is included. We just love to have everybody join us.
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah, that's great. So that was some of the takeaways that from the discussion at that meeting. Did you hear other feedback in terms of things that they saw from Marion that they were commented on, or you know again, maybe other little ideas that they mentioned that they might be taking back to their communities?
Speaker 1:They commented on our wayfinding signage. It very much matches the downtown Bell Fountain wayfinding signs. I had done a tour downtown bell fountain shortly after taking this position and I come back and I said I want these. It took a little longer than bell fountain. We went through the channels and got the approvals, but we now have wayfinding sign. We're coming up on our. We just finished our first full year with wayfinding so we're getting ready to change out some signage and welcome new businesses. So that'll be great.
Speaker 1:They also loved our downtown um business handbook that we created. Um, that is something a lot of the communities do not have, so all of them wanted copies of it um to try and start that in their own communities. But our business handbook gives you everything from start to finish of what you need to open in a downtown um. So anything from your signage to the approvals from the design review board, how that process works, um who's in charge of the sidewalks, from the crest to the curb to the front of the building. So, um, a lot of times those little things get missed when opening a business.
Speaker 1:And it's not something I mean. I'm opening a business. I'm not worried about who's shoveling the sidewalk, so it's not something generally that people really stop to think about.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so if folks are watching on YouTube, you can see they've got a copy of the business handbook here that they brought along. But really nicely done. Alan had shared a copy of this with me several months ago as it was kind of getting completed, and it's really helpful. And I do encourage folks if you're local here and you're interested in starting a business heck, if you currently have a business in the downtown and you haven't seen this yet, make sure that you check it out, because even if you already have a business, it's helpful. And for those that may be listening other communities and looking for ideas and ways to kind of pave the road, if you will, for helping new businesses come to your downtown, this is a great resource. So you mentioned a few things there in terms of like what to do, where to go to officially get your signage permitting and you know the responsibilities for the sidewalks. What are some other things that are in there?
Speaker 1:We have our historic tax district is is located in here. We've got the building checklist, development requirements, application for certificate of appropriateness, public right away. Owner responsibility kind of goes back to the sidewalk, and then public services and utilities. So so oftentimes somebody coming from, say, a neighboring community has a different gas or electric company than we do here in the community, so this entices them. It also includes all of the information about our local DORA, the downtown Maranin-Codora. We got expanded last year to encompass almost the entire downtown to ensure that current projects and future projects are all included within that door so we don't have to keep going back each time. So that was another great addition to ensure that if you fall within this district and you have drinks that you are able to use in the door cup that you're able to partake in that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. So having all of those resources in one place is so helpful because, again, I mean, as you mentioned, like oftentimes people are, they're really focused on their business, their business concept.
Speaker 3:Maybe they're hiring employees, they're starting to get inventory and just all of the pieces of opening a new business, and then they can't figure out which utilities they need to get turned on in their name or who to contact at the City of Marion offices for certain things. Yeah, not knowing exactly where the DORA boundaries are, or you know, those sorts of things are just very practical, very helpful. They've got, I mean, full color maps and illustrations in here and so you know, really great resource and I'm sure that's something that will get updated periodically as some of those things change and everything going forward, but this is just very helpful. So great, great resource.
Speaker 4:And it's on our website.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's great too.
Speaker 4:As it's updated. The website will be updated.
Speaker 3:Okay, okay, so PDF copy or whatever is available on the website, which is Downtownmarioncom.
Speaker 1:Okay, very good.
Speaker 3:So if somebody's looking for that again, has an interest in opening a new business downtown, we're very interested in trying to make that happen and that's great. So speaking of which, so there's, I think, a lot. Let's kind of go back a little bit to all the things that downtown Marion does and doesn't do, and you know where some of the lines you know in work like we're doing, you know we're all kind of working together and sometimes the lines between who does what are sort of blurry, especially from an outside perspective. For example, lots of people think that I quote own Downtown Marian.
Speaker 3:Inc or that I'm even affiliated with it and really I mean you guys know we work closely together. We're working towards a lot of the same goals in terms of downtown revitalization and helping support businesses and all of that. But I'm not on the downtown Marion Inc board. I, you know, I certainly don't own anything or anything like that, but you know we're working towards the same goals and so we work with all of the building owners and developers, businesses not just not just Luke.
Speaker 3:Right, yes, absolutely, absolutely. So what are some of the different things that you all do? And then we can talk about even some things that maybe you don't do, just to bring some clarity around all that.
Speaker 1:So most of the downtown events are Downtown Marion Inc events. We host or put on most of those. That's a way for us to get feet on the street. In order to retain the businesses that we have, we must have feet on the street. So we try to bring as many events as we can throughout the year to encompass family-oriented or single or couples, to ensure that it's something for everybody and not just the community. So we also try and bring businesses to downtown. Oftentimes we get posts or get asked to post that there's current storefronts available. Um, we were hand in hand with getting um amados to marion, so that was a huge accomplishment for um. That building owner was able to get that building sold to amados, so um, that's been. Another great perk is to to be able to be hand in hand and ensuring our buildings are full.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so you're marketing, uh, downtown openings, uh, whether it's storefronts, uh, I know you often have apartments, uh, you know that you'll share about as well, that are available, which often don't last very long, but uh, thankfully, uh, that are available, which often don't last very long, but thankfully we have great demand for those. But you're also promoting downtown businesses. You know, sharing their individual events or sales or different promotions that they're doing. And then, as you mentioned, of course, the mainstay is events Because, once again, you know, I think people are like well, why do you need an outside organization to do that? I mean, I would answer that with, again, downtown businesses are focused on running their downtown businesses and sometimes to be able to have an outside organization that is coming alongside and saying, hey, we want to help promote everyone in the downtown and it's really too heavy of a lift for just one or two businesses to put this on.
Speaker 4:There's a lot of work that goes into planning a lighted truck parade or a taste of downtown chocolate walk. All of those things Take time. And local business owners alone do not have the time. A lot of them do help. Many serve on some of our committees and help plan some of those things, but to do it alone. One person cannot do that.
Speaker 1:We oftentimes get a lot of flack, I guess, on the fact that we do not share anything that does not have to pertain to the downtown. That is set in stone by Heritage Ohio that we are a downtown organization. It's in the name of our 501c3. We encompass everything downtown. So it's nothing against those people that fall without the outlines of downtown, it's just we are downtown. Of downtown, it's just we are downtown Um. So we welcome people to come collaborate with us. Um, we have events where people are able to come set up in the downtown um, set up during Thursdays or other things, um. But as for us sharing, we aren't able to. On the downtown page it has to strictly be within the downtown corridor. So we've gotten some pushback on that. But that is coming straight from Heritage Ohio. So it's not that we don't want to, we're just not able to.
Speaker 4:And the importance of downtown. For any community to survive, thrive, it needs a vibrant downtown, and so that's what our focus is on, and others do the outside of downtown, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, talk a little bit about the makeup of the board. Cheryl, you know, as the president, I know that DMI has been intentional about trying to have a lot of diversity of stakeholders within the board. So talk a bit about what types of people are on the board helping to make the decisions.
Speaker 4:Sure, I think the main thing is a passion for downtown and in the community would be the number one criteria for being a good board member. We have people that are downtown business owners. We have the chamber, the CVB, a county commissioner, representative from CANDU and regional planning. All serve. As I think most of them are ex officio board members, the mayor serves on the board all serve as.
Speaker 4:I think most of them are ex-officio board members. The mayor serves on the board we're looking for. I think we have an attorney to come on the board. An accountant would be great, Somebody with some bookkeeping experience. I thought last week we talked about it would be great to have a nonprofit representative on the board. I guess I was that at one time. I worked for a nonprofit. Well, I guess I still do. I work for the Marion Community Foundation, yeah yeah, yeah, so that's great.
Speaker 3:I mean, and again I mean, what a diversity of perspectives that those people gain and, like you said, they're there, have the shared passion for the downtown, for seeing it thrive and grow, but they also have a lot of influence and opportunities in their different spheres with having. All those entities are who have to work together to make the downtown successful. You know, you've got the tourism bureau and the city of Marion and the chamber and the county and you know can do, and all those different entities that are we want to bring to the table right, and you want to have their opinions to be able to help drive things forward. So that's that's great. We've got to have their opinions to be able to help drive things forward.
Speaker 1:So that's that's great we've got to have a wide variety can't can't just be downtown businesses or people focused within the downtown. We have to expand that just to ensure that it's not one-sided. So we've done great at having a mixture of everybody on the board. Um, it's a 22-member board so there's a wide variety of seats on there. There's different views, so there's always some kind of pushback. You're either forward or you're not in the projects that we're going to do in coming years. So you just got to ensure you got the right people.
Speaker 1:It is a working board, so you're required to work 80% of the time. If you're unable to meet that requirement, then we do ask that you step down or find somebody yeah.
Speaker 3:And you know I think that so often it can be difficult to create a culture within a board where people feel like they can share their feelings and opinions and perspectives. I've been on some before that, you know, don't necessarily encourage that and it's not super productive, you know. It's that kind of healthy friction that can help create really good results.
Speaker 4:We started having executive sessions in our board meetings last year and it's been great. There isn't anybody that has not shared their maybe not every meeting, but at some point everybody has shared their opinion about something.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's so important and as you went through this process with Heritage Ohio, the board makeup has it changed kind of as part of that, or I mean I know it's evolved, I feel like over the last five years or so in particular.
Speaker 1:It's evolved. We've ensured that if you're joining, you're going to focus on what our organization is going. After joining, you're going to focus on what our organization is going after. Like many other boards had gotten some individuals that their passions had changed, but they still held those seats. So we did go through some changes and welcomed some new individuals onto the board. As anything, it's been a breath of fresh air and a new perspective has been brought in, so that's been great. Now we're kind of focusing this coming year on bringing on some younger individuals to the board to ensure that we're getting the full range and ensure that we're not missing anything that the community may want. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Because I mean, honestly we are. We're in the middle of a really exciting time and again, you know folks that are listening, that are just kind of learning through maybe some recent podcasts about, like you know, all the different things been going on in the last few years in downtown Marion. You know we're welcoming all kinds of new businesses boutiques, restaurants.
Speaker 3:Just had announcement yesterday of new winery that's moving to town. You know just all kinds of new things and you know it's really exciting. I mean there was a time, you know, before I started working in downtown or doing anything that I'm doing.
Speaker 3:I mean back 10 years ago. You know I was aware of downtown Marion. They kind of came to events and, you know, started learning a little bit and there was at that time a you know a great working board and people that cared about the downtown, but there wasn't a lot going on. And so you know, they were, you know, putting on events and some of this, but it wasn't nearly what it is today because there wasn't nearly as many places to go and things to do. And so you know it's a really exciting time to be doing what you're doing.
Speaker 4:We also wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for their efforts. They got us started. It was made our jobs a lot easier to step in with not having to start from scratch.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, and there's still a lot of work to do. There's still a lot of work to do.
Speaker 1:There's still tons of work. I know when I first started this position, sits Conception had only been a part-time position. Shortly after taking on the position it was apparent that part-time was not enough so I moved up. I'm full-time. I still put in 60, 70 hours a week, but it's worth it in the end. So I for one grew up on the west side of Marion. I remember going to the grocery store out, say, towards Walmart on 95, but I could not tell you one remembrance of driving through the downtown. So for me to be able to bring my kids downtown and experience everything that it has to offer has been amazing. My wife and I had the opportunity to live in one of Luke's lofts I think his largest loft.
Speaker 1:Yes yes indeed 3,000 square feet. It was an amazing experience to be in the downtown. We welcomed a baby so we moved out of downtown, but the reality of I've always been drawn to like downtown New York. So to be able to live in downtown Marion it kind of gave a perspective of my wife will never go to New York but at least I have the option to live in the downtown somewhere. So yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's. You obviously got a front row seat there for a while. It was a very immersive experience and I think you gained a new appreciation of both the, the really cool things about the, the downtown, as well as some of the challenges to still keep working on. And, you know, I think it's really helped you in your role to be able to have that experience, I'm sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was a great experience and my son's still Can we sell our house yet? He's ready to come back. He's ready to come back.
Speaker 4:All right, all right, talk with Joshua I think one of our biggest challenges again is communication, not just with the business owners, the merchants, but with the public. There's nothing to do in Marion. Why should I go downtown? There's nothing there. We need to work harder at getting the word out that there is a lot going on and there's more, more to come.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, changing public perceptions again. I'm sure this is a challenge that you can commiserate with a lot of other main streets. You know, that's probably one of the biggest things that come up in conversations. I'm guessing just that, as good things are happening, trying to get that word out and really change people's perceptions, especially in communities like Marion, where maybe the downtown fell into a state of disrepair and maybe it wasn't a really exciting or fun place to go for maybe a lot of years, and then to turn around perceptions that there aren't places to eat or places to shop or things to do in the downtown, takes a lot of time and effort and I know it's your full-time job, it's my full-time job.
Speaker 3:It's a lot of people's you know, are working really hard to be like no, no, like, come and see, like truly. And that's why you're doing the events, and some of those events are truly just focused on getting people down so that you can kind of you know, play tour guide a little bit to say hey, look over here, look over here. This is new, this has been here a year, this has been here five years. Have you been here yet? And sometimes people are like no, I haven't, haven't gotten down there yet. It's like well, come on down.
Speaker 4:We'll show you around anytime. I think our harvest festival last fall October was one of the best things we've done in getting people in the shops. We did a chili cook-off and people had to go to various businesses to taste the chili. I think, every business owner said they had a lot of traffic that day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it's definitely a perception. I know back when you marketed the space where Foxcliff Hollow is currently, that one of the number one comments on that thread was they wanted to see a pottery painting place. It's literally right next door, so it is a perception and ensuring you're getting out of your downtown to see what we do have. We have literally something for everyone, so you don't have to make that 25 minute drive down 23 or even further to get to those places. We are bringing all of that right here to downtown, marion.
Speaker 3:So yeah, yeah, that's really great, Isn't it great? I mean, I know you guys have had this experience too, where it you can see the light bulb like go off for somebody you know, maybe it's during an event.
Speaker 3:Maybe you're doing a a tour with you and you know I know you recently did a tour, like of some younger you know, high schoolers or whatever with the youth leadership Marion and you know. So maybe it's one of those groups. Maybe you're taking friends or family members you know that you think have been to these places and they haven't, and the light bulb goes off and they're just like, wow, this is, this, is here, this is right here in Marion and this is like somewhere that I never would have thought was downtown.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was one of the big eye openers for doing tours like those is the first youth leadership tour that I did in downtown Marion. One of the locations that we went to was Spruce and Sparrow and later that night I got a message from the store owner, jenny, that said you won't believe it. One of the girls from your tour today brought her mother back because she said her mom would love it and she told us that afternoon that she had planned on doing it. We just didn't figure it would happen exactly that day.
Speaker 3:So it's great, it's great.
Speaker 1:Don't waste any time yeah, don't waste any time they. But most of those kids that we do the tours with, a lot of them have never been to our downtown. It's not something that was in their upbringing, because they're of the age that they're just now getting to see the benefits of our downtown. So a lot of them do end up coming back. A lot of them come back and work in the downtown. A lot of our boutiques have high schoolers that are working, so it's good to get those.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's exciting to see the next generation. I mean you mentioned your son, my know, my kids are around all the time you know, others and it's now. It's just amazing that, like their experience is going to be so much different than yours. You know that you mentioned where it's like we didn't come downtown, there wasn't a lot to do, and now our kids are coming and having the experience of like, well, yeah, of course you'd go downtown, Like that's where lots of things to do are.
Speaker 3:And so you know again, this is this is the whole thing about. It just takes a long time to change perceptions and change experiences and and that's really what your mission is built around is is bringing people and giving them those experiences and through tours and events and and all of that. So so with that I mean Cheryl, you kind of mentioned, you know, some of the the most popular events that that downtown Marion Inc does and some of those speak a little bit to what was successful from last year that you felt. You know you saw some of those ahas for people.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think the lighted truck parade Marion's Christmas parade for the last few years that it was during the day was not a very popular parade, either from people watching or people in the parade. But the lighted truck parade this year was the third year. It just keeps growing and the creativity of the participants is phenomenal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it just keeps getting better.
Speaker 4:If you've not been to the lighted truck parade. You need to come. It's just fabulous. And then the tree lighting, yeah.
Speaker 3:So that's all kind of the kickoff to the official Christmas season and you know, alan, I know that's a really busy time for you because there's a lot of downtown events that are going on around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and that's kind of the big kickoff. And that's kind of the big kickoff and another real testament to like a great collaboration with, like the city of Marion and, you know, kind of working with you on that event and in the tree lighting and all of that I mean just the way that that's just escalated the last few years from what it was, as you mentioned, cheryl is, is remarkable.
Speaker 1:It is and and it's blossoming far past what we ever thought it could be. We questioned is anybody really going to come out to a nighttime parade? But the first time we did it we had a couple thousand people show up and it's only progressively gotten larger and it was cold.
Speaker 4:this last year it was freezing cold.
Speaker 3:And there were still people everywhere.
Speaker 1:Yes, and even the fire department decorates a fire truck and gets it all lit up.
Speaker 4:City school bus.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the city schools, the city does a few cars Right yeah, so it's a great collaboration. The city does a few cars. Right yeah.
Speaker 1:So it's a great collaboration. This year the city was able to donate a tree from one of our outlying parks in the community. That wasn't really any focal point, it was just up against a field, so it was a great opportunity to donate that, but they were able to cut it down and deliver it for us. We're hopeful that 2025 will be the year that we have a permanent tree and founders park. So we're working on that currently to to get a tree that we don't have to keep removing, so kind of be a focal point and keep playing it every year.
Speaker 4:So yeah, and thanks to day springleyan church for all the decorations in founders park. They've spent a lot of money, yeah, creating that yeah, that was just.
Speaker 3:You know, all these things we're talking about. It's just like just something here, something there, another person, another group, another collaboration, just creating experiences that make our downtown what it is, and it's no one, one specific thing, one specific person or group, it's everyone working together to make it happen. And when that could happen, it's really, really cool yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:So uh, we're, you know, almost to march here looking forward to kind of the, the warmer weather. We're all looking forward to uh to to get back out and doing some more events. Of course, you just had the uh chocolate walk uh in february, and it's not that you don't do events when it's uh really you do them do events when it's really doing year round, but especially once the weather gets nicer, they kind of kick up a little bit more yeah, yeah, so talk a little bit about what's coming up for this year so May kicks off our third Thursdays and that's a free concert event for anybody in the community or not in the community.
Speaker 1:We have food trucks, street vendors, so that's always on the third Thursday. We also this year have our Taste of Downtown Marion event kicking back off. All of the downtown establishments have a specialty item on their menu that you partake in for that day. So you walk around, kind of get your passport punched and then we have a voting to see who gets the most savory, who had the most sweet. So originally started as a leadership Marion initiative and was held at the May Pavilion at the Palace. But as our downtown has grown and continued to thrive, we decided why put everybody in one room? Why not entice everybody to walk the downtown? So that was a big change with that event that some are still reeling in the change, but it's been a good change. We sold out last year, so we're hopeful that this year we'll sell out again.
Speaker 4:And this is the year for loft tours.
Speaker 1:It is. This is the year for lofty spaces and unique places tours, so it's a tour behind oftentimes closed doors, throughout the downtown, always a fun event. Before I took this position partaked about every year on that. Um, that was just something that I kind of piqued my interest in, coming to the downtown and wanting to see what was going on.
Speaker 3:so yeah, it's been great now to be on the other side of that event. So yeah, so it happens every two years so that's why you say it's the year for it. So, without fail, right after the event, I hear these rumblings I'm sure you do too where people are like oh gosh, didn't realize that was happening. When's it happening? Well, two years.
Speaker 3:So mark your calendar now, yes, june 7th, thank you, make sure that you're there. I totally agree. I came to Loft loft tours before I was ever doing anything downtown and you know and my story's similar that that I just thought that was so cool and I think that it's just, uh, been a really great event for the downtown to showcase what all is going on, kind of in some of those upper floors and you know unique, very unique spaces indeed that have been created or are continuing to come online, because there's a lot of people that live downtown. That's something else that, again, I'm sure you talk about on your tours, I talk about on mine that it's not just the businesses on the first floor that create the vibrancy in our downtown. There's a lot of people that live on the upper floors as well.
Speaker 1:There are. You would not believe the spaces that are above the storefront. So it's not just kind of a hole-in-the-wall apartment, they're all really well done so it's. It's crazy to think that we have that in our own downtown, kind of like with the airbnbs. When we did, when I did the tour with the students a few weeks ago, that was our first stop was we went to the flying fish lofts and none of them knew marionion even had airbnb, so yeah, it was a great, a great eye opener, especially for them, that you can have that in your own community.
Speaker 1:They don't have to go outwards. Yeah, yeah it's fun.
Speaker 3:I'm sure, like you, you are giving tours and, and you know, bringing people from outside of marion, you know, to some of these events and stuff, but oftentimes it's showing our own Marion folks what's here in Marion, because it is ever-evolving too and we're down here feet on the street every single day and sometimes struggle to keep up with all the things that are happening and it's really exciting much less someone that might have a job outside of Marion and they are not down here all the time, and so that's why we want to invite them down more and more to make sure that they keep up on what all is going on. So loft tours are a great opportunity for that.
Speaker 3:So yes if anybody's listening, if you're in Marion, if you're outside of Marion, it's a great. You know, I've went to loft tours in other communities too and I'm, you know, always looking for ideas there. And so if somebody's looking for ideas for your own community, come and see. I don't know what all lofts are going to be on the tour it changes every year but you're bound to see some cool spaces and get some new ideas and be inspired. So be sure to get your tickets for that. So that's coming up in June, and then we continue through October, with Thursday.
Speaker 1:So it's May through October, so tons of events for those. This past year we were able to receive a CHC grant creating healthy communities. That's allowing us to do an art alley. So all local artists painted um murals and those will be being installed on the side of curiosity on main street um, so we're excited to get those up and their bronze plaques to show each artist's name, what the title their artwork is. So it's another initiative to kind of get people out and walk in the downtown to flow into that.
Speaker 1:We also, in 2021, Downtown Marin Inc was able to get 109 buildings in the downtown named to the National Register of Historic Places and with that we received a grant from the Marine Community Foundation to do a bronze plaque project. So eight of the 10 bronze plaques have been installed on the facades of buildings. Engraved on those is a picture of what the building looked, as far back as we could get, and then you get to see present day, as you're standing there, reading a little bit of history about it. Each one has a QR code that'll give a little more elaborate information, but it's another way to kind of entice people to take it out and walk through downtown.
Speaker 4:And then the remaining two plaques will be in Founders Park one describing the plaque project and one describing the Cardinal project.
Speaker 3:Okay, oh, very cool yeah. Which the Cardinal Project? Okay, oh, very cool yeah.
Speaker 4:Which the Cardinals have been a great means for drawing people downtown as well.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, we talked about this on the episode with Bev Ford from the Convention Visitors Bureau, because she often is kind of the front-line person. If they don't catch you somewhere, that people come to town to check them out, and so she's got the maps in there. She also has the downtown Marion maps that that you guys have created with all the different stops and and. Uh, there again, if there's somebody locally listening, you're like there's a downtown Marion map.
Speaker 4:Yes, there is.
Speaker 3:They're all over really. You've got them at a lot of the businesses.
Speaker 1:Every business that is on the map has maps at the register. So we got everybody set up with displays and everything for them, so that oftentimes you get somebody that comes in well, what else is here? What else can we do? Well, now we have a feasible map that you can open up. It's tri-fold. So it's been another great addition to ensure that we're not losing people after one stop. They can hopefully entice them to walk a little more and see what else we have to offer. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:We have those in the Airbnbs and consistently get feedback from people that are like, yeah, I took the map and went and visited a couple of places, didn't realize they were around but, you know, enjoyed being able to see what was around. So those are a great tool as well. And the cardinal maps that tell the story of the cardinals and all of that are around as well. So once again, hopefully, I mean this has been a you know just kind of treasure trove of different ideas that folks listening may get for their own communities. Just these little pieces, you know, from signage to wayfinding, to the maps and communication resources and collaborations you know are just really helpful. What are some? I'm really excited for this Art Alley project. I know you and I have talked about it some and that's going to be coming online here very soon.
Speaker 1:Weather permitting, right Weather permitting as soon as. I can get a scissor lift out there to get them installed. They will be going up. They're all completed a wide variety of outlooks on art and we let them have free roam of what they wanted to do. They just had to include a cardinal somewhere in the artwork. So there is a tiny little cardinal somewhere in each artwork, so that kind of goes Well. Where's Waldo? Where's?
Speaker 4:cardinal, where's the cardinal?
Speaker 1:So each one is different and we're excited to get that going.
Speaker 3:So it's a pretty good addition. Yeah, yeah, that's really exciting. I have seen in other communities just the impact that public art has, just as you mentioned, you know, having the public are having the plaques, having the Cardinals, like just those things that kind of get people out and exploring and just our little surprises in an alley or around a corner in a good way, you know, are really are really fun. So so that's exciting.
Speaker 1:We kind of last year we kind of kicked that off with some of that CHC funding as well, and we've got a few storefronts in downtown whether they aren't ready to be developed yet or haven't made it into the right hands to be developed. They just didn't look good looking through the windows.
Speaker 1:So we hired a local artist at one of our downtown establishments and she was able to paint murals on these windows. We changed them out for the holidays, but it made a great backdrop for people to come get selfies. There's multiple times walking by. Can you take our picture? Yeah, I can take your picture. So they got pictures with our our selfie walls or windows, um, so those are also another just able to install some art. It's not permanent, um, but it at least brings some color.
Speaker 3:Yeah, to our street, yeah, once again a great idea, you know, for somebody to take to another community, those you know kind of maybe not great-looking spaces and we're fortunate we don't have a ton of them, but they are a great way to kind of dress it up and make it look intentional. So, rotating those out seasonally again, weather permitting. Those will probably be changing again, which is exciting and gets people out again to check out the new ones.
Speaker 4:We have some exciting things in the works. Can't talk about them yet but some exciting things for Founders Park to help just draw people downtown more and more.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, it's been great to see that evolution just really there again in the last five or six years from what it was to what it now is, and and even future iterations. You know, I don't know all of those plans either, but I'm excited that you know there's ongoing conversations about how can we make that an intentional gathering place. How can we make it? You know, because we're very fortunate, a lot of communities don't have the amount of that nice big green space in the center of their downtown to be able to have things like tree lightings and concerts and events and all of that. So to be able to continue to enhance that and build upon it is is really exciting. So, um, so yeah, other, uh, other events or upcoming initiatives that you want to share about.
Speaker 1:One of our big spring initiatives I think we're coming into year three, four would be our adopt a flower bed initiative in downtown Rather, that is the in ground or above ground flower planters. That's not something generally the city just has funding for. So when we welcomed new administration they wanted to work hand in hand with us to ensure that that was fulfilled. So we reached out, got community members, businesses, to come forward and plant amazing flower beds in the downtown and then the city takes care of watering and weeding all of those.
Speaker 1:So, that was a great addition. Previously, whoever planted them had to water. Cheryl can attest to lugging jugs of water into her car and coming back to Marion to get that done. But none of the downtown businesses have spigots on the outside of their building so you're kind of lugging your own.
Speaker 1:So it's been a great resource in collaboration with the city to get those going. So we'll be announcing that soon. We followed last year through winter and had themes with the beds, so we had a scarecrow theme for fall. Our Christmas theme last year was gingerbread, so it followed through with gingerbreads through winter. So it's been a great, great addition to getting some vibrancy to downtown. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:And really has been an excellent collaboration with the city and the mayor talked about that a little bit on our podcast episode. They outfitted the watering vehicle to be able to go around and do that much more efficiently than milk jugs and buckets.
Speaker 4:And since it was such a dry summer, they had to water a lot more than they had planned to.
Speaker 3:Right right, but it kept things really looking nice. A lot more than they had planned, right right, but it kept things really looking nice. And yeah, just, you know really appreciate the hard work, the collaboration and the creativity. Some of these things just a lot of people don't notice directly, but things like flowers and you know we didn't talk about the Christmas trees that the Wyman donated and then they were all decorated, and then you know you're working with downtown businesses to do like the, the window, the storefront decorating contest, and you know, just all those things just add a vibrancy and a newness and a freshness and an energy to a downtown that when people do come around they notice. Even if they don't notice those things specifically, they feel the energy and they realize that there's intention and people care.
Speaker 4:And we also do the flags on the light post as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so just things going on all the time that are adding to the downtown. And again, maybe there's you know somebody out there listening like I wondered who took care of all that stuff. And you know now you know, and board members and you know, and Alan's out there you know doing hang Christmas lights and you know picking up signs and you know putting stuff out or whatever, and but it's a really great team effort to to make our downtown what it is.
Speaker 1:It is, and we have four committees. So on top of our 22 member board we've got four committees that meet monthly. So we're always welcoming if anybody wants to make a difference or to help with doing anything. We've got committees for just about anybody.
Speaker 3:There's work to do as we've, as we've outlined here, for sure, but we're we're, we're grateful for it. So, okay, well, we've covered a lot of ground here. We talked about what what DMI is, what you do, some of the challenges that you face and are working to overcome, some ideas for people that are doing this type of work in other communities, some of the really exciting events that are coming up, like the Loft Tours and all the Christmas festivities, as well as third Thursdays, it'll be kicking off here before we know it and looking forward to a great year.
Speaker 3:This year, again, I think that we really are hitting a tipping point where there's just so many places and things for people to do, like literally, people could come, you know, every night of the week, go to a different restaurant. They could come and do shopping and, you know, have different experiences and different entertainment options. And then you know, let alone all of the events that you guys are putting on that are special and unique and you know, maybe you're only happening every year or two that people can participate in as well. So we just want to keep getting that word out and encouraging folks to come down. And man, I mean, you can speak to this Just the quality of the hardworking business owners that we have downtown.
Speaker 3:It is I mean they're a really special group.
Speaker 1:It is and a lot of them winter months are rough, so a lot of them are feeling the rough of every community in the winter months. So they're all very much looking forward to warmer days and getting people back out on the street. So we're excited to bring those events and help make the spring and the summer make up for the slow beginning of the year. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:It's been a tough start to the year. Just, you know, I think this type of weather that we've had cold and snowy, and sometimes people are just hibernating at home and we're looking forward to bringing people out of hibernation and I know that you know stores are starting to get all their spring stuff out and I mean it's just really lively and springy in some of these places. So you know, we get these. It's practically spring when it gets above freezing in Ohio and so, like you know, like let's get out. We don't have to wait until it's 70 and sunny to go out and see what they have to offer, because you're in those stores all the time and you're seeing it firsthand that they're ready to go?
Speaker 1:It is. We've got our winter walkabout right now, so it was an initiative to entice people to get out during the winter. So you get a punch card at any of the participating establishments. You get eight punches after eight purchases and then you can turn that card into the Visitors Bureau and get a free T-shirt. So we're pushing that through March we just talked about it a couple days ago to ensure that everybody is able to get all their punches and entice people to come down.
Speaker 3:Yeah, just a fun way to get folks exploring maybe some places where they've never been. We're all creatures of habit to some extent and we like to go where we like to go. But there's all these new places and they're worth exploring.
Speaker 4:Absolutely. There's great places to eat and great places to shop.
Speaker 3:They have a lot of unique items, yeah yeah, absolutely Well, thanks again for spending a little time here. I want to make sure we give all the different ways that folks can follow along Downtown Marion events and communications and all of that. Why don't you share, Alan, how they can make sure they stay in the know?
Speaker 1:So you can follow us on Facebook or Instagram. Both of them are downtown marion inc. You can also follow us on our website, downtownmarioncom. There is a get information tab on our website so that'll allow you to sign up for our newsletter to also ensure that you're getting all the the latest um things about downtown downtown Marion, so that's every way you can stay up to date on downtown Marion with us.
Speaker 3:You've recently updated the website, so there's some great resources there in terms of the different businesses that are downtown entertainment options, the Bronze Plak Project. So some history for folks looking to learn about that stuff as well, right.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:Well, great, Thank you again. We're looking forward to a great year, Looking forward to seeing folks out on the streets of downtown Marion. So thanks to our listeners for tuning in here Again. If you're local to Marion, we encourage you to come around. If you're not, we're, you know, always looking to share and collaborate with other communities as well, trying to just all get better, and I think there's great collaboration between different communities that you've met through Headers Ohio and the Main Street Program, and so folks are involved with those or not. You know you're welcome to look us up to come visit, and Alan and I are happy to give you a tour. We're all the time taking folks around and it's our passion, what we love to do. So please come visit us and grab a map, and you could do a self-guided tour as well. So always open for that. So we look forward to some more great conversations in upcoming episodes. So hope that you'll tune in again here real soon.
Speaker 2:Thanks for listening to the Main Street Reimagined podcast. To learn more about Main Street Reimagined Henry Development Group or our work in downtown Marion, ohio, please visit MainStreetReimaginedcom If you want to connect or if you know someone who we need to interview, shoot us an email at info at MainStreetReimaginedcom. Until next time, keep dreaming and don't be afraid to take the leap.