Ottawa, Illinois:
A Perennial Favorite
The Situation
Situated on the banks of the Fox and Illinois Rivers about 75 miles southwest of Chicago is Ottawa, Illinois, a city of 20,000 residents, rich with history and a can-do attitude. Every year approximately 2.5 million visitors travel through Ottawa to Starved Rock State Park, one of the state's most popular parks. But with many retailers having moved from downtown to strip malls along the freeway, few of those travelers were finding their way downtown, and businesses have struggled as a result.
Ottawa, seeing a terrific opportunity, decided to step up efforts to revitalize their downtown and begin attracting visitors from among the more than ten million residents who live within an hour and a half drive of the city. Realizing they needed to set themselves apart from the many other towns along the route, city leaders and downtown property owners retained Destination Development International (DDI) to help them find solutions. The goal: create and promote a vibrant downtown that will become a popular gathering place for residents and visitors alike.
For Ottawa's solution click here
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