Missouri Communities Receive Downtown Revitalization Awards
Four communities participating in the Missouri Main Street program have reached or surpassed one million dollar milestones from private improvements in their historic downtown districts.
In the past year, Cape Girardeau exceeded $6 million in private investments, while Liberty, Lee's Summit and Warrensburg each passed the $1 million mark in private improvements.
As a whole, the 20 communities actively participating in the Missouri Main Street program last year exceed the $18 million mark in both private and public improvements in their downtowns. The Missouri Main Street Program, launched as a non-profit organization in 2005, is designed to help communities preserve their historic buildings and reinvigorate their downtown districts.
A recent ceremony honored those communities along with individuals, businesses, cities and civic organizations that have invested skills and volunteer time to revitalize their downtowns. The Missouri Main Street Connection hosted the Evening of Excellence Awards at the Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel, St. Louis. Awards were presented in 12 categories.
Blue Springs Downtown Alive! accepted the Outstanding Public Partner award for a joint project completed by America's Community Bank and the City of Blue Springs.
Old Town Cape's Vasterling Building - now the Vasterling Suites - won the award for Best Large Scale Project, in a tie with Liberty, MO.
Krystal's Up Town Salon, in downtown Chillicothe, won the award for Top Fa�ade Rehabilitation Project over $10,000.
The Excelsior Springs Community Theatre and the Slightly Off-Broadway Players won the award for Best Adaptive Re-Use Preservation Project.
BobKorn Kettle Corn, of downtown Excelsior Springs, won the award for Business Excellence, in a tie with a Warrensburg business.
Linden Square at Gladstone Village Center won the award for Best Streetscape and Public Improvement Project.
Brad Culbertson, of Lee's Summit, has given of his time and energy "above and beyond" what is normally expected from a Main Street board member. For that reason he was presented with the "Stick Out Your Neck" Award. The Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street organization (DLSMS) offered the nomination.
An individual honored during the ceremonies was Suzanne Garrett, who won the award for Volunteer of the Year, nominated by Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street, Inc. (DLSMS)
Liberty's redevelopment of the Bedinger Furniture Store won the award for Best Large Scale Project, in a tie with Old Town Cape.
Historic Downtown Liberty's Economic Improvement Committee won the award for Best Economic Restructuring Project, in a tie with Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
The Independence Avenue/International Marketplace won the award for Best Economic Restructuring Project, in a tie with Historic Downtown Liberty's Economic Improvement Committee. The Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce offered the award nomination.
Winning the award for Business Excellence was the Old Drum Coffee House & Bakery, of Warrensburg, in a tie with an Excelsior Springs' business.
The award for Top Promotional Event went to Warrensburg for its first-ever Burg Fest event, a cooperative effort of the Warrensburg Main Street, Inc. with several local organizations and schools.
Special recognition went to Warrensburg Main Street for its own version of the Evening of Excellence. Warrensburg submitted the nomination for the Outstanding Special Project Award, but the judges didn't see it as a special project - in fact, it didn't fit into any of the existing categories - thus the special recognition.
An individual award winner was Mayor Sandy Lucy, of Washington, MO, who accepted the award for Outstanding Public Official. She has been a major champion of the Main Street Approach� and advocate for historic preservation and small businesses. Downtown Washington, Inc. nominated her for the award.
The project to celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the founding of Washington, MO won the award for Outstanding Special Project.
View complete press release.