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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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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



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.



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.

http://www.columbusvisitorcenter.com/







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.





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.

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