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Main Street Guymon Helps Downtown Economy |
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Wednesday, 27 May 2009 |
By J.D. DENNIS
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$1.7 million circulated through Guymon in three and a half years. That's what Main Street Guymon has recorded for the downtown.
Not only has it invested over one and a half million dollars back into the downtown community, but it has helped to bring in new businesses, new jobs and a new look to downtown streets of Guymon.
Guymon's Main Street organization is responsible for the opening, relocation or expansion of 25 different businesses and a net gain of 21. This has created 67 jobs in the downtown area and as taken over 5,000 volunteer hours of work.
Some of the main events that have been held and hosted by the Main Street organization are the Cupid Cash Giveaway, Guymon Outback, Freedom Fest (partnered with the city), Farmer's Market, Nightmare on Main Street, Santa's Workshop and many others. All of these events have brought more business, tourism and a new look upon the downtown area.
The main focus of all Main Street organizations is to promote the positive image of the towns downtown and its assets by hosting special image events, retail sales events or anything to get people in the downtown area. This is to create exposure of the businesses by attracting people to the downtown and community as a whole.
They also look to provide assistance in coordinating the design of improvements in or around the downtown areas as well as providing services for buildings and signs and information for painting, construction, historic renovation and preservation. They also help design and promote beautification processes that bring more public interest to the area along with projects that will achieve the same outcome.
The third point they focus on is organization. This varies from producing and/or maintaining helpful and healthy relationships between the local government and the private businesses of the citizens. They also help to inform citizens and members on topics that may have common interests and concern as well as helping notify and keeping the public informed on upcoming activities. They're sole purpose is to be the voice that promotes the concerns downtown area from local to national levels.
The final focal point of the organization is economic restructuring, which essentially means helping bring new businesses by aiding the the potential owners in finding a place and, if necessary, acquiring the financing required as well as providing educational workshops.
Due to all their hard work, Main Street Guymon has been accredited as a 2009 National Main Street Program. It also has the opportunity to host the Statewide Preservation Conference in 2011, which will provide an enormous opportunity to the Guymon and Panhandle area. This conference is required training for main street managers of the state and would bring close to 250 people from all over Oklahoma to the area for three days of shopping in the local stores, eating at the local restaurants and staying in the hotels in the area. With the area that Guymon is in, this event would also be expected to draw interest from other states' organizations; such as Texas, Kansas and New Mexico.
"We operate a lot behind the scenes, so not many people really know what Main Street is all about or what we have done. We just want them to realize that our objective is to bring in new business and help the city thrive through it's downtown. Many don't realize that success in towns and cities stem from the downtown area. This is the area that adds a unique touch to the city, but also attracts larger businesses and more people to the area. Even larger companies such as Epic Touch help with Main Street, because they realize the benefit of having a thriving downtown area. We want others to realize this too," said Main Street Guymon Director Jeff Wagner.
For more information on Main Street Oklahoma (such as the staggering $600 million reinvested in state communities and the 11,000 new jobs created by the organizations in the state as a whole) visit www.okcommerce.gov/mainstreet or call (580) 338-6246.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 30 May 2009 )
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