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   This evenings Journal......

Main Street designation could help revitalization of Middletown

MIDDLETOWN — Becoming an Ohio Main Street community will help Middletown lay the foundation to revitalize and help bring economic development to downtown, officials said.

Middletown will begin the process Friday to become a Main Street community when officials with Heritage Ohio spend the day with officials with Downtown Middletown Inc. to evaluate the city’s core, looking at its strengths, weaknesses and possibilities.

While this status may not mean much for the average resident, the designation can lead to increased property values, more downtown job opportunities and more reasons to go downtown because “it’s a magnet for development,” said Downtown Middletown Inc. Executive Director Patrick Kay.

A MAGNET FOR DEVELOPMENT!!   MORE REASONS TO GO DOWNTOWN....MORE JOBS.....INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES....FOR WHOM? THE S. MAIN ST. CROWD? AND JUST THINK, ALL OF THIS FROM A DESIGNATION. KINDA LIKE PUTTING UP A SIGN TELLING PEOPLE WHAT THE SITE WILL BE, BUT NOT OFFERING ANYTHING BEHIND THE SIGN EXCEPT AN EMPTY LOT. HEY, SORTA LIKE THE DUNCAN OIL DEAL.

Kay doesn’t see why this can’t happen in Middletown, but it just won’t happen right away.

“People will have to understand that it takes time to get things moving,” he said. “Middletown has been in a stopped position for such a long time.”

STOPPED POSITION? YEP, SINCE THE 60's. LONG TIME TO GET THINGS MOVING? YEP, SINCE THE 60's.

He said having mixed use is equally as important for long-term sustainability of a downtown as having key anchors, which for Middletown are education and the arts.

THEY ARE COUNTING ON THE ARTS AND A SMALL COLLEGE/EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TO BE THE ANCHORS? AREN'T THEY THE EXTRA-CURRICULARS AFTER THE ANCHORS ARE IN PLACE? ANCHORS ARE DESIGNED TO ATTRACT THE GENERAL POPULACE WITH A RESULTING HIGH TRAFFIC COUNT SO THE SMALLER BUSINESSES WILL BENEFIT  AREN'T THEY? THE ARTS AND A COLLEGE WILL ONLY ATTRACT A SMALL SEGMENT OF SOCIETY AND APPEALS TO A SELECT FEW. IF THEY ARE COUNTING ON THE ARTS AND EDUCATION DEVELOPING A BEEHIVE OF ACTIVITY DOWNTOWN, I THINK THEY WILL BE SADLY MISTAKEN. 

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VietVet Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008	Post Options Post Reply Quote VietVet Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jun 07 2012 at 9:31pm
	This evenings Journal...... Main Street designation could help revitalization of Middletown MIDDLETOWN — Becoming an Ohio Main Street community will help Middletown lay the foundation to revitalize and help bring economic development to downtown, officials said. Middletown will begin the process Friday to become a Main Street community when officials with Heritage Ohio spend the day with officials with Downtown Middletown Inc. to evaluate the city’s core, looking at its strengths, weaknesses and possibilities. While this status may not mean much for the average resident, the designation can lead to increased property values, more downtown job opportunities and more reasons to go downtown because “it’s a magnet for development,” said Downtown Middletown Inc. Executive Director Patrick Kay. A MAGNET FOR DEVELOPMENT!! MORE REASONS TO GO DOWNTOWN....MORE JOBS.....INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES....FOR WHOM? THE S. MAIN ST. CROWD? AND JUST THINK, ALL OF THIS FROM A DESIGNATION. KINDA LIKE PUTTING UP A SIGN TELLING PEOPLE WHAT THE SITE WILL BE, BUT NOT OFFERING ANYTHING BEHIND THE SIGN EXCEPT AN EMPTY LOT. HEY, SORTA LIKE THE DUNCAN OIL DEAL. Kay doesn’t see why this can’t happen in Middletown, but it just won’t happen right away. “People will have to understand that it takes time to get things moving,” he said. “Middletown has been in a stopped position for such a long time.” STOPPED POSITION? YEP, SINCE THE 60's. LONG TIME TO GET THINGS MOVING? YEP, SINCE THE 60's. He said having mixed use is equally as important for long-term sustainability of a downtown as having key anchors, which for Middletown are education and the arts. THEY ARE COUNTING ON THE ARTS AND A SMALL COLLEGE/EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TO BE THE ANCHORS? AREN'T THEY THE EXTRA-CURRICULARS AFTER THE ANCHORS ARE IN PLACE? ANCHORS ARE DESIGNED TO ATTRACT THE GENERAL POPULACE WITH A RESULTING HIGH TRAFFIC COUNT SO THE SMALLER BUSINESSES WILL BENEFIT AREN'T THEY? THE ARTS AND A COLLEGE WILL ONLY ATTRACT A SMALL SEGMENT OF SOCIETY AND APPEALS TO A SELECT FEW. IF THEY ARE COUNTING ON THE ARTS AND EDUCATION DEVELOPING A BEEHIVE OF ACTIVITY DOWNTOWN, I THINK THEY WILL BE SADLY MISTAKEN.