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| Gillett Time 02-14-07 |
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| Thursday, 15 February 2007 | |
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Gillett Time 02-14-07 May I say “Happy Valentine’s Day” to everyone reading this column. I’m hoping many of you will get lots and lots of valentines and truly enjoy the day. I know some of you have your entire house decorated in red and white and for you this is one of the most important holidays of the entire year. For those not quite as excited by this red-and-white day, let me take this opportunity to wish you good health and happiness and know that in a small community like ours there are many folks who care and look out for each other every day. This Thursday evening, February 15, Mr. Joe Lawniczak, Design Coordinator of the Wisconsin Main Street Program, will make a presentation on design guidelines and opportunities for commercial structure renovation. The program will take place in the Community Meeting Room of Wells Fargo Bank, located downstairs in their building at 101 E. First Street in Gillett. The Community Revitalization Commercial Loan Program will be introduced by Mayor Tom Lietz and others. This program is the result of months of work done by the Mayor’s Task Force on Commercial Revitalization, made up of representatives of the City of Gillett Common Council, Revitalize Gillett, Inc., and the Gillett Business Association, with the assistance of Bruce Mommaerts of the Oconto County Economic Development office, the group has established a program that will offer “a proactive, positive initiative to help reduce the negative impacts of planned road reconstruction on city businesses, and attract new business to the community.” Plans are to completely reconstruct Gillett’s Main Street in 2010, which will include a new road surface and new sidewalks, as well as replacement of the municipal services under and above Main Street in order to bring them up to code. Many of these underground services are original since they were first installed in the early part of last century. Every time a project of this size occurs within a community there is a great disruption to business on Main Street for a number of weeks or months. To help prepare for this reality the Commercial Revitalization Program was created, offering a plan to help reduce associated financing costs and coordinate commercial renovations with the street reconstruction and streetscape. In the summer of 2005, through the help of the Wisconsin Main Street Program, we had a consultant, Michael Schroeder, spend a couple of days in Gillett and create for us a possible streetscape for a newly-imagined Main Street design. This included everything from the look and design of streetlights to what the intersections would look like to possible plantings both on the sidewalks on in the areas between commercial buildings that could greatly enhance the look of Main Street. The design has been displayed at many Revitalize Gillett functions as well as in our booth at the Oconto County Fair. It is kept in the offices of Revitalize Gillett at 117 E. Main Street. Any commercial structure located in the City of Gillett is eligible to apply for funds through this program, which will help in providing resources for approved commercial renovation. The program is a cooperative effort developed by the City of Gillett, Oconto county, and Revitalize Gillett, Inc., with the participation of Wells Fargo Bank, Community Bank Financial, Peshtigo National Bank and Citizens Bank. There are numerous benefits to renovation of existing buildings in a downtown, both for the building owner and the community, from creating the character that attracts visitors to Main Street to preserving property values and the tax base. The presentation on Thursday evening will describe in detail both the program guidelines and the application process. Refreshments are courtesy of the Gillett Area Historical Society will be served and the event was organized by the Design Committee of Revitalize Gillett, Inc.
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