The town of Millersburg, Indiana has fewer than 1000 residents, but that’s not stopping it’s working just as hard on downtown revitalization as any big city, just with a smaller budget.
For instance, the four corners at Washington and Jefferson streets in downtown Millersburg recently received a $51,000 face-lift complete with brick crosswalks, new stop signs and street signs.
2017 Millersburg Street Fest.
Photo credit: Enhancing Millersburg
The improvement were just in time for the August 18, 2017 launch of the first annual Millersburg Street Fest celebration. This two-day weekend event is sponsored by the new group, Enhancing Millersburg.
“Our purpose is to focus on revitalizing our economic growth in our downtown area,” said Ben Eldridge, utility coordinator and director of economic and community development for the town of Millersburg. “We got together and decided we could do the Farmer’s Day celebration, but if we do it, we are going to move it downtown and give it a new name. We want people to know we are here.”
The town is currently preparing to kick their downtown revitalization efforts into high gear by applying for acceptance into the National Main Street Program.
The Main Street movement grew out of a recognition that a community is only as strong as its core.
Photo of Millersburg, IN via City Expert
In an era when many people had given up hope about the commercial and cultural viability of downtown, and when suburbs, shopping malls, and big box retailers were dominating the American landscape, this seemed like an unlikely proposition.
But, over the last four decades, the Main Street movement has proven that downtowns are the heart of our communities, and that a community is only as strong as its core.
Main Street empowers communities to set their own destinies. While revitalization is challenging work, the Main Street program offers a road-map for local-owned, locally-driven prosperity. Across the country, thousands of communities have used the Main Street Approach to set transform their economies, leverage local leadership, improve overall quality of life.
See Goshen News article by Sherry Van Arsdall.