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The past 18 months have been a good period for downtown Columbus. The
Columbus Main Street group has worked on many interesting new projects over that
course of time. One of the first was the completion of the Columbus Visitor Guide. This
full color publication was developed with over 30,000 copies printed in January of 2007.
This marketing item was distributed to businesses and travel centers all across Wisconsin
and Northern Illinois.
We see one of our key elements continuing to grow in significance. The
Columbus Main Street Visitor Center operated by our Executive Director Kim Bates. The
visitor center is open five days a week and continues for be a source of information for
travelers and potential business owners in our downtown district. The visitor center is
also home the West James Gallery featuring the works of local artists, also operated by
Kim Bates.
One of the first redevelopment projects
of the period was the completion of the
James Street Dining Company. This
major building restoration was taken on
by owners David and Julie Woodward.
Their new restaurant opened its doors in
October of 2006 and draws customers
from many surrounding communities for
an elegant dining experience. JSDC was
recently selected “Madison Magazine
Restaurant of the Month”.
“Secret Garden” opened early in 2007. This unique floral and garden shop owned
by Robin Silkweed filled a restored property on Ludington Street. Her specialties rangefrom fresh floral arrangements to garden plantings and sculptures. This beautiful shop is
a great new addition to the downtown district.
Late in 2007 the Wisconsin State Horse Council and the Midwest Horse Fair
relocated to larger facilities in Downtown Columbus. These entities are both long time
downtown businesses that were in need of additional space. They moved from one
shared building into two buildings creating separate offices for their operations.
The Columbus Main Street program is excited to produce its Vision
and Work Plan for 2008 and beyond. After 15 years this Wisconsin
Main Street community felt it time for a new image. This process
began in 2007 with the development of our new Columbus MainStreet logo by local artist and downtown resident John Rockwell.
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Of course Father’s Day Weekend marked the 9th Annual Columbus Carriage
Classic at Firemen’s Park. The largest annual event orchestrated by the Columbus Main
Street program was once again a big success. It drew national attention with segments
filmed by the Food Network for airing in 2008.
November brought new excitement and enthusiasm. Spearheaded by the
Columbus Main Street Program and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, our
community became a “Discover Wisconsin” feature destination. The program was taped
over the summer of 2007 and aired for the first time in November of 2007. This
partnership opens many opportunities for our community in television, radio and web
based marketing. Most residents of the Columbus area never knew they had so many
interesting things in their community. The Columbus Main Street program was proud to
make this project a reality.
Colonial Carriage Works – before Colonial Carriage Works – after
In August of 2007 Colonial Carriage Works opened a new retail carriage
showroom in the former Bobby G’s bowling alley building on Dickason Blvd. This 8,500
sf. facility was restored in the summer of 2007 and filled with carriages by the end of August. Customers of Colonial Carriage Works are now drawn to downtown Columbus
from all across the United States, Canada and Europe.
On August 25th a unique event was held in the downtown district. The 1st Annual
Horse Drawn Coach, Carriage and Sleigh Auction was held on Dickason Blvd. This street
festival took place under the “Big Top” on Dickason Blvd. Carriage drivers and collectors
visited Columbus in person and on-line to purchase these specialty vehicles.
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The “Big Top” was also put to good use on Sunday, August 26th. The 1st Annual
City of Columbus Picnic took place downtown, featuring food, friends and music hosted
by the City of Columbus. A nice crowd of local residents came downtown to visit some
of the new businesses and share a sunny afternoon with their neighbors.
With a number of events taking place on Dickason Blvd. over the course of a
typical year the City of Columbus unveiled a conceptual plan for this area called
“Dickason Square”. This plan would incorporate our Historic City Hall into a festival
space that could potentially extend three blocks east to the Amtrak station. This
beautification project will turn an existing paved street into a useful market and festival
center. With the future added benefit of the restored auditorium downtown Columbuscould host small conventions. The close proximity of the Amtrak station would make
travel to events convenient from Milwaukee, Chicago, or Minneapolis. Columbus is very
fortunate to have Amtrak service to our community. The Columbus Main Street
program sees this as a very under utilized opportunity for Downtown Columbus. It is
one of the key points to this project. Continued development of the Amtrak corridor to
Downtown Columbus will remain high on the list of priorities.
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At the end of December we saw the opening of the Red Bud
Bistro and Bakery. Owners Paul & Ellen Gorton recognized
this opportunity right next door to their existing shop
Carousel Antiques which opened in 2006. The Red Bud
Bistro features fresh baked breads, coffee and pastries along
with a growing menu of soups, salads, and sandwiches for
lunch. This property also continues to provide an attractive
home for the George Hasey Popcorn Wagon. Continued
recruitment of skilled business owners such as the Gorton’s
continues to be a high priority.
In January of 2008 a forum of groups with a downtown interest met for thesecond time in the last 12 months. This “Downtown Renaissance Meeting” hosted by the
City of Columbus included presentations by the Columbus Main Street Program,
Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Columbus Auditorium Corporation, Community
Development Authority, Historic Landmarks and Preservation and the Columbus City
Council. With the many groups and numerous projects in the pipeline renaissance
meetings will continue to be a useful tool in the redevelopment of our Downtown.
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As we look ahead to 2008 our first and most critical
item of business is the completion of our all new
website. We see this tool as the foundation that we
build our four committee structure upon. This highly
creative site will showcase our community featuring
businesses, events, opportunities, and tools for
promoting new business. An aggressive web base
campaign to promote our new site will follow posting.
As web based communications continue to increase
we feel it is critical to present a professional image in
this medium. As an organization we are aggressively
pursuing electronic forms of communication with our
friends and supporters. Currently nearing completion
this site will present a bold creative look for our
community and will help build a sustainable revenue
stream for our Main Street program.
Continued operation of the Columbus Visitor Center will also be of significant
importance for us this year. The combination of our website, visitor guide, and visitor
center will increase the visibility of our program. These three items also play key roles in
providing sustainable funding by providing valuable services to our community. We feel
the combination of web based marketing, print publication and bricks and mortar are a
good array of tools to insure the continued success of the Columbus Main Street
program.
The design committee ended the year on a high note.
The placement of two streetscape groupings began a
downtown enhancement project. Two groupings
were placed at the four corners adjacent to each of
two cornerstone buildings. This is a long term project.
Funding for the project was provided by Sharrow
Pharmacy, Richards Insurance, Mary Poser, the Main
Street Program and the City of Columbus. The design
committee also remains busy working with property
owners on facade improvements. Although façade
grants have been eliminated for the foreseeable future
property owners are still appreciative of the services
provided by the Columbus and Wisconsin Main Street
programs.
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The release of the 2007 Columbus
visitor guide will be followed up
with the printing of our 2008
guide in March. The new model
will be improved and distributed
through many of the same
channels as our previous issue. The
addition of the Discover Wisconsin
trade show partnership will be
prominently featured. Retaining a
quality publication is critical to the
long term success of this project.
In 2008 our Economic
Development committee is
compiling a schedule of entrepreneurial workshops. These
bi-monthly events hosted in the
Downtown area will feature local
and professional speakers from
many aspects of business. Topics
will range from merchandising,
taxes, employment issues, and entrepreneurial spirit. Our workshops will accomplish a
number of things for our business district. Existing local business owners will benefit
from the experience of the speakers. Our contact list will reach far from Columbus intothe hands of business owners in other communities. We anticipate that attracting
business owners to Columbus for workshops may attract them to Columbus for business
expansion or relocation. A final goal of this project is building a sense of pride and
community among the entrepreneurs currently based in Columbus.
Columbus Main Street Board of DirectorsColumbus Main Street Board of DirectorsColumbus Main Street Board of DirectorsColumbus Main Street Board of Directors
Todd Frey – President
Penny Pray – Vice President
Ellen Gorton – Secretary, Treasurer
Lyle Sampson Member
Cathy Elling – Member
Jorie Habenicht – Member
Kim Bates – Executive Director
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Downtown Economic DevelopmentDowntown Economic DevelopmentDowntown Economic DevelopmentDowntown Economic Development
The revitalization of the Downtown business district is a multi faceted process beginning
with communication development. The success of a small downtown business district
like Columbus will be hinged upon networking and interaction.
Downtown TheoryDowntown TheoryDowntown TheoryDowntown Theory:::: A small downtown district like Columbus is ideal for unique specialty
shopping, galleries, artists and restaurants. Creation of a destination in the Downtown
Business District will be key to its success. Recruitment of small owner operator
businesses such as this requires networking. The connection between Main Street
business owners and new potential business owners is a vital link in bringing those
people to town. Excitement and enthusiasm are contagious and best spread between
shop owners. Main Street is certainly the conduit to make that happen. Success breeds
success and that translates to new prospects. It creates synergy that inspires new
entrepreneurs to take the next step to opening their business in downtown Columbus.
The task of contact development and communication is one of our first tasks at hand.
The continuous accumulation of potential and existing business owners contact
information is already underway.
EmphasisEmphasisEmphasisEmphasis:::: We feel a strong retail mix is the single most critical requirement for successin our downtown district. Adding retailers is one thing. Filling buildings is easy.
Cultivating high quality retailers to build long standing destination status here in
Columbus is far different. That will be the greatest challenge facing us in our continued
economic development project. Locating the type of business people that have the
creativity, design skills, marketing and business savvy to build a successful destination
business in Columbus is going to take effort. Wanabees are a dime a dozen but building
relationships with strong business partners will take time and energy. At the present
time we have a moderate concentration of retailers offering destination level product.
Our greatest need at this time is no less than six retailers offering unusual product linesof high quality merchandise in attractive settings. At this time only one attractive space
is currently available downtown to house those retailers without acquiring buildings in
need of extensive remodeling. The Main Street program is in the best position to assist
property owners with renovations. That being said we are in need of retailers willing to
purchase and renovate space or developers willing to create high quality retail space for
lease. Certainly our emphasis will be reaching toward both types of investors.
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Empty Buildings:Empty Buildings:Empty Buildings:Empty Buildings: There is always chatter about empty buildings in a community like
Columbus. When you look at the number of buildings currently sitting vacant that are in
move in condition we have a very different story. The vast majority of vacant space
downtown is unusable. That creates a false impression. Intense investment in real estate
development in the form of property improvement is absolutely necessary. Tax
incentives, financing options, private and public partnership will be necessary for
completion of some of the larger scale projects. Once developers are in place for some
of these problem properties it will create new market opportunities for retailers.
Traffic:Traffic:Traffic:Traffic: Putting people on the streets to support those retailers is equally important.
Continued development of a consistent marketing plan is crucial. Bringing new business
to town is one thing. Survival in the current economy is another. Continued creative
marketing efforts already in place including the Columbus Visitors Guide,
www.columbusvisitorcenter.com, email and other cooperative marketing strategies will
continue to be developed and implemented. We see the majority of our future businessdevelopment coming from high quality, cutting edge, web based marketing. As the
internet becomes a far more widely used tool for information we see the use of high
tech marketing to promote a creative, historic, relaxed, quiet community as an
interesting mix.
Living Downtown:Living Downtown:Living Downtown:Living Downtown: One of the fruits of a vital business district is that it becomes a fun
place to live. Continued recruitment of high quality owners willing to invest in
redevelopment of historic residential spaces downtown is also important. Renovations
and reuse of the lower level commercial spaces is only half of the project. Renovationsof the unique loft spaces on the upper levels complete the project. At the current time
there are a number of properties housing respectable businesses on the lower level but
missing the unique opportunities the upper levels present. These properties open the
doors to a new type of resident looking for that mix of urban life but in a small town
atmosphere. Our close proximity to Madison makes for an idea situation for commuters
or work at home professionals.
Branding:Branding:Branding:Branding: Single source promotions are very important to the future development of the
downtown district. Branding and image will play key roles in the creation of a vital
downtown business district. The combination of the Columbus Visitor Guide,
www.columbusvisitorcenter.com, and the Columbus Visitor Center itself will create a
strong image for potential new business owners. Consistent high quality image building
materials, marketing and advertising products are the difference between success and
failure. This philosophy is no different than the dynamics of running a successful
business.
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Web Based Marketing:Web Based Marketing:Web Based Marketing:Web Based Marketing: The production of a complete and attractive website for the
Columbus Visitor Center will be a basis for our web based marketing work. This tool will
not only build image but be a resource of information. We see this as one of the first
informational sites a potential business owner may see when they inquire about
Columbus. This site will express the excitement shared by the business owners in our
district. It will be vibrant, fun, entertaining and useful. It will be widely promoted to
potential and existing business owners via print and electronic communication.
Property ListingProperty ListingProperty ListingProperty Listing:::: A current listing of available properties in the downtown district will be
available online at www.columbusvisitorcenter.com. Detailed information and photos
including complete contact information will be provided and available for immediate
access.
New BusinessNew BusinessNew BusinessNew Business ResourcesResourcesResourcesResources:::: A comprehensive list of tools available for new businesses will
be available online. Permit applications, funding sources, business support, Wisconsin
Main Street services will all be compiled and available to the prospective businessoperator both online and in hardcopy.
EntrepreneurialEntrepreneurialEntrepreneurialEntrepreneurial TrainingTrainingTrainingTraining:::: In 2008 our Economic Development committee is compiling a
schedule of entrepreneurial workshops. These bi-monthly events hosted in the
Downtown area will feature local and professional speakers from many aspects of
business. Topics will range from merchandising, taxes, employment issues, and
entrepreneurial spirit. Our workshops will accomplish a number of things for our
business district. Existing local business owners will benefit from the experience of the
speakers. Our contact list will reach far from Columbus into the hands of businessowners in other communities. We anticipate that attracting business owners to
Columbus for workshops may attract them to Columbus for business expansion or
relocation. A final goal of this project is building a sense of pride and community
among the entrepreneurs currently based in Columbus.
Wisconsin Main Street ServicesWisconsin Main Street ServicesWisconsin Main Street ServicesWisconsin Main Street Services:::: One of the most under utilized services that we have at
our finger tips are those provided by the State Main Street Program. Business
development, planning and analysis services are available at no charge to Main Street
Communities. This is one of our greatest assets and will be called upon regularly for
future projects. Market studies, feasibility studies, corporate contact information,
demographics are all typical information provided by the State office and will be
valuable tools as we move forward.
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Promotions:Promotions:Promotions:Promotions: Continued development of retail and community events in the downtown
district are important to traffic enhancement. The Columbus Main Street with our long
and diverse list of volunteers has mastered the art of venue creation with the Carriage
Classic and Holiday Home Tour. These high quality venues will set the standard for
future events in Columbus and the Downtown District. Moving large groups of
supporters and volunteers from conception to completion on projects the scale of the
Carriage Classic takes a hard working dedicated core of volunteers. That is certainly one
thing that Main Street has proven to provide year after year.