Emporia Main Street
E-Newsletter |
Lots of people in town for graduations this week, then Memorial Day followed by the Dirty Kanza! May is a little hectic... May is also Historic Preservation Month, and we have several activities scheduled, including an Upper Story Tour on May 22nd. It's a fun month to be in Emporia! |
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Upper Story Tour
Check out downtown upper stories in several different stages of development in this FREE tour opportunity. Meet at the Emporia Main Street office TONIGHT! Thursday, May 22nd at 6:30 p.m. for this FREE tour!
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Dirty Kanza
Click HERE for the Finish Line Vendor Registration Form
Click HERE for the DK Course Maps
Click HERE for Finish Line Party Information
THE DIRTY KANZA STILL NEEDS VOLUNTEERS!!! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!
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Dirty Kanza Kids Bike Race & Fun Run
www.emporiarec.org
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Main Street Merchandise
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You can order the items listed below at a variety of local merchants, at the Emporia Main Street office or on-line at www.emporiamainstreet.com
Emporia-Opoly, the local version of the classic Monopoly board game, features local businesses, historic sites and special Emporia tokens. This is the perfect gift for current or past Emporians. Because there is a limited quantity, we suggest you get yours soon..
Emporia Main Street Gift Certificates are always the perfect size! Give the gift of shopping local this year with the gift of Emporia Main Street gift certificates, good at our member merchants throughout Emporia.
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Learn more about local amenities, organizations, businesses, events and more with the E-Town Mobile App! The ETown App is a joint project among Emporia State University, Flint Hills Technical College, USD 253, The Emporia Gazette, the City of Emporia, the Emporia Convention and Visitors Bureau and Emporia Main Street.
For IPhone Users, click here:
For Android Users, click here:
For the NEW iPad Version, click here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/e-town-app-emporia-kansas/id712001984?mt=8
New additions AND a Web version COMING SOON!
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Kids College 2014 at FHTC Community Connections
Looking for a fun activity now that summer vacation is about to start? Kids College is a week-long, half-day activity designed just for children that have completed 4th, 5th or 6th grade. Children will have the opportunity to explore a variety of careers with lots of fun, hands-on activities!
Morning sessions, from 9:00-noon, will visit the Automotive, Computer Programming, and Graphic Arts programs as well as visit Shepherd's Valley Farm to talk about sustainability. Afternoon sessions, from 1:00-4:00pm, will visit Automotive, Dental Assisting, Industrial Engineering and Culinary Arts.
Kids College runs from Tuesday, May 27th through Friday, May 30th. Each session (morning or afternoon) is $50 for the week and is limited to 20 children.
Reserve your child's spot quickly by visiting the FHTC Community Connections website,
http://flinthills.augusoft.net, or call Amy Becker at 620-341-1392 for more information.
Enroll today! Visit http://flinthills.augusoft.net or call 620-341-1392.
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Property Availability Guide
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For property owners with property available for rent or sale, this is a free service to collect information and post it on the Emporia Main Street Web Site. With other market information available, we hope this site makes it easier for potential businesses and property developers to find spaces they need.
CLICK HERE to enter information about your available property and view previously submitted information.
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Business Investment Guide |
Do you know a business that should locate in Emporia? Maybe you know an entrpreneur looking for resources or a business owner looking to expand? The Business Investment Guide is community information designed to help you point your contacts in the right direction!
CLICK HERE for the INVESTMENT GUIDE |
Lessons Learned from Detroit
The fall of an American City, and its fight back from the brink
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When the National Main Street center invited Main Street communities from around the nation attend a National Conference in Detroit, you could almost feel an audible grown. Excitement to attend learning sessions in a city described by the media as dangerous, dilapidated and defunct isn't something most Main Street staff and volunteers look forward to. We love community cores, and we don't like watching them die.
I won't retread the story that most of you already know. But, Detroit has lost more than half its population from its heyday. The Motor City, as the name would suggest, was built for cars. Still today, wide multi-lane streets permeate every portion of the city and many outlying suburbs. Houses outside the core looked, in areas, like a war zone. Burnt out residential shells exist next to chronically vacant buildings in an area so sprawled that you can fit the cities of Boston, San Francisco, Manhattan Island within Detroit's city limits with hundreds of acres left over. Vast infrastructure has proven so costly and unsustainable that vast targeted demolitions are the norm. Disconnected pockets of Detroit remnants remain virtually disconnected. On the Saturday we arrived, as we walked downtown, Emporia, Kansas seemed MUCH busier than downtown Detroit (car traffic, pedestrian traffic and bike traffic).
That's the bad part... How did Detroit get there? Well, that is a more complex story. After talking with individuals from, and working in the area, the answer to "how did things fall so far" is multifaceted. First, the city was built for the car, and that design completely insulates residents. For most downtown buildings, you can drive into a parking garage attached to the building you want to enter, go to work, eat and drive out without every having to expose yourself to anything outside. That type of insulation erodes communities. Each winter (this one was particularly bad in Detroit) streets are heavily salted. The salt takes a toll on streets and sidewalks, and because the streets are so prevalent in Detroit, they are tremendously expensive to maintain. Streets, when coupled with other types of infrastructure that has sprawled out creates a tremendous burden for tax payers. The extreme vacancy rate makes it difficult to buy properties, renovate them and create a profit producing property for renters. The extended land surface area of Detroit makes it impractical for police, fire or other emergency services to respond in a reasonable length of time, leading to more devastating fires, increased crime and decreased public safety. Their dependence on an industrial concept left them susceptible to leadership which designed a community around a philosophy (cars/machines) instead of people, and that philosophy still exists today. Instead of trying to intersect with proven community and design strategies, Detroit held on to the glory days of their past as Rome burned around them. Essentially, a self sustaining cycle of blight was created.
I think it is obvious that we shouldn't do any of the things we listed above, and that is one of the lessons learned. But, I also learned that state leaders in Michigan, the communities surrounding Detroit and people tasked with bringing Detroit back are some hard working, creative types that are willing to make investments in their communities. Some of the trial and error in Detroit and its surrounding smaller cities has actually helped formulate sound strategies for the rest of the nation.
-For example, we learned that, although all of Detroit lost population in the last census, historic district areas within Detroit are losing population much slower than the rest of the city. In other cities, like Philadelphia, historic districts are gaining population while the rest of the city looses population.
-Place-making trends that are popping up throughout the nation cut their teeth in Detroit. People found that to make a community stick, it needed unique businesses. Areas with local restaurants, retail and other locally owned businesses grew, while the big boxes bailed. Communities that reduced the size of their roads, added bike amenities, created walk-able areas, established mixed use developments and created public spaces easily accessible by foot, bike or car have improved tremendously. Ferndale, for example, utilized the tenets of place-making and reduced their vacancy rate from 45% to 5% in a decade.
-Tactical Urbanism is a philosophy that has enhanced neighborhoods throughout the Detroit area. Essentially, the strategy is to create artificial density by incubating an area through development and redevelopment of commercial, housing and mixed use properties. The resulting pressurization manifests itself in private developments adjacent to the target area as part of a larger unified plan.
- The successful role in government (and some not so successful private ventures) indicates that communities need to produce public private partnerships for long term sustainable growth. Detroit shows pretty clearly that businesses don't always have the best interest of a community in mind when they develop. And, although government isn't perfect, the two sides need to strike a balance.
- You need boots on the ground, "Swiss Army Knife" style professionals to hope for success. Michigan really shoved their Main Street programs front and center in dealing with the redevelopment crisis. Many other states have done the same thing. The public/private nature of Main Street organizations is part of the reason for the surge in prominence, but the other basic reason is that Main Streets take a more holistic role in the revitalization process.
- Success isn't cheap. Communities must have a development plan and an investment strategy when working with redevelopment to make it work. Otherwise, you can just go ahead and replace the word "plan" with the word "dream".
- It's okay to say "no". Part of the planning process is sticking to a vision that combines market data and community input. The "we'll take anything" mindset usually ends badly.
- Be wary of those that won't get their hands dirty. Remember that "disconnect" that we talked about in the self contained parking garage buildings? Well, neighborhoods and communities are typically being revitalized by people out on the street pulling weeds, picking up trash, fixing buildings, starting businesses AND doing economic development work. Insulation and cognitive disconnects lead to bad decision making.
- Car centric development gets people into the car, and once they are there it's easy to keep driving. The Motor City loves cars, but that love affair came at a tremendous cost. Once people decided they would rather drive out of the city, they lost the populace.
- Prepare for downturns by diversifying your economy. When the auto industry started lagging, Detroit's overdependence on a single industry meant they were highly susceptible to market fluctuations. Bunches of small firms (1-10 people) are stabilizing markets and creating unique businesses with expansion capabilities. The resulting intellectual capital formed through proximity to diverse entrepreneurs is helping communities take advantage of emerging trends and solve pervasive problems.
- For goodness sakes- ITS ABOUT THE PEOPLE!!! I can't really emphasize this enough. When we talk about economic and community development success, the results should manifest themselves in community wide sorts of measurements. Population growth, median household income growth, a happier populace. For years, Detroit measured success by looking at the stock prices of a few companies. Once they started actually focusing on their people, the bleeding slowed. Because, at the end of the day, any community is simply a collection of people.
Was Detroit as bad as everyone made it out to be? No. Was it a city in great shape? No. Will it ever be what it once was? Probably not, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Jobs, technology, business and times have changed. Smart cities recognize that and adapt. Not-so-smart cities resist change with extreme consequences.
We learned a lot more in Detroit that we will write about in future e-newsletters, but it's rare that the host city of a conference can, in itself, be a teaching tool. The negative side of learning about the decline of Detroit is that we can see some local parallels (sprawl, measurements, leadership, resistance to change, etc.), but we are hoping that lessons learned can not only prevent those negative impacts, but can take advantage of the positive opportunities we learned about as well.
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Did you know???
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Even with the National Main Street conference, we had a lot going on last week (and into this week. We received some set backs in the development arena, we held a promotions and design meeting, we hosted a Dirty Kanza meeting, we worked with ESU Public Relations students, we met with a community foundation representative about an upcoming conference, we held a statewide conference call, we met with a local architect about a potential building project, we met with a regional developer about our market, and Becky Smith did a great job holding down the fort while we had two individuals attending the National Main Street Conference in Detroit. With a large Dirty Kanza looming in the distance, we still have a lot to do this month, but all the activities have provided us the opportunity to get some
good questions from all of you
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1. "So you are the folks with the Dirty Kanza?"- From a nationals attendee. One of the coolest parts of a national conference is when attendees recognize your city, or an event within your city for a positive purpose. The Dirty Kanza was one event that is starting to really pick up in national recognition. The growing participant base and a media strategy that targets the hometown media of participants has started to pay big dividends. We even had someone from Detroit trying to convince us to come back for a "slow roll"... Beyond the DK, it was interesting (and slightly scary) to get tracked down by other cities that read our newsletter and wanted to know about a variety of projects. Heck, we even saw some Dynamic Discs apparel while out-and-about. It's nice validation that our community is being recognized for good events, ingenuity and some good local companies.
2. "What the heck is going on with Kansas?" From a lot of people, from everywhere. So, we started with a positive, but our state itself is not being recognized in a great light... We met an individual moving back, and they wanted to be part of a state conversation, in part, to see if things were as bad as they had heard. While most states are pumping up funding for targeted urbanism, revitalization, community development and Main Street programs, Kansas is seen as substantially behind the curve. That, when added to social critiques hasn't impacted our state perception in a positive manner. The state's reputation, from an outsiders view, has evidently taken a hit over the last couple of years, and that is a bit disconcerting.
3. "How do you determine an appropriate market mix of businesses?" From a person from Michigan in a round table discussion. Don't worry, I'm not going to talk about math... Many communities struggle with the types of businesses they want to and can open, and how to place those businesses in such a way that they cooperate with each other. That "market mix" is a delicate balance of supply, demand and the creation of unique "destination" businesses that can pull people into your community from outside of your market trade area. But, before any of that process begins, a community has to ask itself two REALLY important questions: What type of community do we want to become? And: What is our community right now (realistically)? We preach "simple stories" to small businesses when explaining what they are to consumers. Simple stories tell people who you are and, because of their simplicity, stick in your mind. Now, you have to ensure that your story is attractive to the people you want to actually attract, but a community can't be eight different things and hope to make an impression. But, that simple story has to be realistic. I've been to a lot of small towns in Kansas, and if one of them called themselves the "arts and culture capital of the world", they would probably get laughed at. However, that doesn't mean that they can't be a leader in something. This is relevant to market mix because the questions about who you are and who you want to be (when coupled with market data) are what sets the basis of your mix.
So, here are your four homework questions: What type of community do we really want to be? What type of community are we right now? What types of businesses do we need to complement those visions? Are those business types realistic for a community and market trade area of our size?
4. "What were the results of the minimum wage poll?" From an e-mail to the office. Last week, we asked you what you thought about potential minimum wage legislation. We gave you three options in a voting poll. You could choose to 1. Increase the minimum wage, 2. Leave minimum wage the same or 3. Decrease or abolish the minimum wage. Below are your votes.
5. "Are we up to speed with where we need to be?" From a volunteer after the Detroit conference. In some ways, Emporia is ahead of the curve, but there were examples from other cities that we need to adopt. Being more aggressive in procuring dense mixed use property development, more of an emphasis on "place making", creating better crowd sourcing conduits for targeted business types, improving our fundraising capacity so we can actually implement some great ideas that can improve cash flow for existing businesses. But, one of the major things we will have to overhaul is the way we communicate with the public.
Even if you've never clicked on a single link we've posted in the e-news, you need to click this one: CLICK HERE. The way we communicate and interact needs to shift as technology and social norms shift.
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President's Circle
Emporia Realty Group
www.emporiarealtygroup.com
608 Commercial
620-412-9850
IM Design Group
www.imdesigngroup.com
17 W. 5th
620-343-3909
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541 Sherman
www.kiss103.1.net
620-343-6144
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Emporia Main Street Calendar of Events
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May 18-20
National Main Street Conference in Detroit Michigan.
May 31
The Dirty Kanza
riders leave at 6:00 a.m. from the 800 Block of Commercial Street.
June 19
Emporia Main Street Annual Meeting
June 21
Business Stroll
August 23
Trilogy Disc Golf Open
September 13
The Great American Market
Do you have an upcoming event for your business or organization?
Let Emporia Main Street know and we may include it on our upcoming calendars!
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General Level Members
AKA Marketing
Amish Woodworks
Applebees
Ash LLC
Atherton & Huth
Bank of America
Bath Expressions
Ben Moore Studio
Bennett Dental Group
BG Consultants
BLI Rentals
Bluestem Farm and Ranch
Brown's Shoe Fit
Bruff's Bar and Grill
C & J Woodworks
Candlewood Suites
Capitol Federal
Cassell Insurance
Chester Press
Clark Carpet and Tile, Inc.
Coffelt Sign Co.
Complete Works
Country Mart/Price Chopper
Dan's Hands Massage
Davis Paints
Disciple Shoppe
Dorsey Eye Care
Douglas Chiropractic
Dr. Kerri Thompson, DDS
Dynamic Discs
Eastwood Lake Apartments
Ek Real Estate
Emporia Construction and Remodeling
Emporia Radio Stations: KVOE, 104.9 & 101.7
Emporia State Federal Credit Union
E-Town Solutions
ESU Memorial Union
Evergreen Design-Build
Flint Hills Eye Care
Flint Hills Mall
Association
Flint Hills Music
Floyd's Automotive
Forget Me Not Productions
Four Seasons Apartments
George Groh and Sons
Gerald Schumann Electric
Granada Coffee Company
Graves Drug Store
Haag Management
Hair Krafters
Heart Center Studio
Helbert & Allemang
High Gear
Java Cat Coffeehouse
Junque Drawer Emporium
Kansas Radio 96.1 The Wave
King Liquor
L & L Pets
Lyon County State Bank
Lyon County Title
Mark II Lumber
McDonalds
McKinzie Pest Control
Midas Touch Tans
Mike Alpers Agency
Mr. Sisters Sweets
Modern Air Conditioning, Inc.
Mulready's Pub
Navrats Office Supply
Papa John's Pizza
Pizza Hut
Pizza Ranch
Plum Bazaar
Poehler Mercantile
Pool and Associates
Prairie Sage Apartments
Pro-Cuts
Rand Simmons Law Office
Redline Trucking
Reflxns Salon
Rhinestone Cowgirl Salon
Sauder Custom Fabrication
Schellers Lawn and Landscape
Scott's Lawn and Landscaping
Second Love Gifts
Stanley Jewelry
Studio 11
Subway
Sunflower Gymnastics
Sutherlands Lumber Co.
Sweet Granada
Textbook Corner
Thompson Auto Repair
Toso Appraisal
Total Technology
Town Crier Bookstore
Triad Leasing
Uncommon Threads
Value-Net LLC
Waters True Value Hardware
Westar Energy
Williams Automotive
Wright CPA Group PA
Wright's Furniture
Xan-A-Do Salon
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Non Profit Level Members
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Cradle to Career Cneter
Emporia Eastside Community Group
EHS- FBLA
Emporia Arts Council
Emporia Chamber of Commerce
Emporia Farmers Market
Emporia Friends of the Zoo
Emporia Presbyterian Church
Emporia Friends of the Library
ESU- Alumni Association
ESU- Small Business Development Center
ESU- Memorial Union
ESU- Theatre Dept.
Flint Hills Community Health Center
Granada Theatre Alliance
National Teachers Hall of Fame
Saint Francis Community Services
Salvation Army
SOS
TFI Family Services
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Home Based Business Members
Avon- Amanda Hopkins
Gold Canyon Candles- Stephanie Morgan
Green Door Recycling
Interdependent Web, LLC
Longaberger Independent Consultant -Judy Dieker
Mary Kay- Lori Engle
Nicole Bradshaw Designs
Origami Owl- Angela Dowell
Paula's Creations
Pampered Chef- Chelsea Gerleman
Purse Lady- Nancy Crawford
Scentsy/ Grace Adele- Kelly Long
Tastefully Simple- Vanessa Apodaca
Thirty One Gifts- Linsey Hopkins
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Individual Supporters
Amy and Rick Becker
Amy Evans
Brad Harzman
Dale & Carolyn Davis
Don Hill
Erin and Casey Woods
Joyce Zhou
Julie Johnson
Kayle Oney
Kelly Wade
Lynn Knechtel
Mark and Amy McAnarney
Michael and Karen Shonrock
Valerie and Matt Zimmerman
Roger Heineken
Smitty Smith
Sue Blechl
Tim & Mary Helmer
Tyler & Melanie Curtis
Yvonne Pool
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