If outsiders haven't yet noticed the promise of Greenwood's downtown revitalization, they will soon.
Phil Hardwick, the incoming president of Main Street Mississippi, announced Thursday that the organization's board of directors has chosen the recovering central business district as the site of its annual retreat.
"You'll have about 15 people who are really knowledgeable about Main Street here to see what you're doing," Hardwick said.
The group will spend a four-day weekend in August discussing community development and observing the merits of Greenwood's project. The conference will be held at Viking Range Corp.'s Alluvian Hotel, the centerpiece of the downtown revival. The hotel located in the former Hotel Irving is expected to open in April.
Bob Wilson, Main Street Mississippi's executive director, said photographs of the Front Street buildings Viking has refurbished for its headquarters are already used as models for downtown development. During Wilson's presentation, one of the buildings appeared on a monitor above him.
"We use this slide all over the state," he said.
Thursday's meeting took place in one of those attractions, the former Hamrick Ford building at the corner of Main and Front streets. Viking's transformation of the structure into its Training Center won a Mississippi Heritage Preservation Award last year.
The challenge for a community striving to create a thriving downtown is to find its image, said Wilson, and projects such as the Training Center are crucial steps in restoring that image.
Greenwood is forging that image in its focus on arts-based economic development, Hardwick said. "That's unique. I don't see that stated much in other towns.
The outgoing president of Main Street Greenwood, Carolyn Manning, outlined studies and initiatives the local non-profit has conducted to set off an artistic flare downtown. She noted the success of Art Alfresco, a downtown-wide exhibit of works by 17 Greenwood artists that attracted a large crowd despite a rainy night. Since then, stores have continued to display local art, she said.
"We have stayed true to the direction of Greenwood," Manning said.
A cultural plan being compiled by Main Street, Communities in Schools and the Greater Greenwood Foundation for the Arts collaboratively has attracted the attention of funding sources that continue to contribute money to the effort, Manning said. The partnership is conducting polls over the phone.
"If you're called, please participate in the interview because we're looking for the voice of Main Street, and you're going to represent Greenwood's voice."
Wilson, who is from Jackson, also noted the resurgence of retail in downtown Greenwood. The combination of stores and commercial business will attract more and more people as it grows, he said.
"This is our heritage. It's downtown. This is why people want to come here. It's not because of you Wal-Mart. I've got a Wal-Mart at home. I've got about 10 Wal-Marts in the vicinity of where I live. I don't have a Ladybug Fashions or a Silver Handbag."
Both Wilson and Hardwick noted that Main Street Greenwood's involvement in the resurgence of its downtown is part of a success story statewide. That's apparent in the statistics the group's parent company, Main Street Mississippi, has posted since 1992:
- More than $1.4 billion in private-public reinvestment in downtown communities.
- More than 1,800 new downtown businesses opened.
- Approximately 18,000 new jobs created.
- More than 1,100 downtown properties put back on the tax rolls.
"We continue to lead the nation in terms of reinvestment in Main Street Communities," said Wilson.
But, he said, Greenwood still has a ways to go to ensure success. He calculated that each empty building downtown represents $250,000 in lost sales a year.
"You're on your way now, and you've got a lot of things going on," Wilson said. "But there are still a lot of empty buildings in downtown Greenwood. The good news is they're still in tact. They haven't burned down or fallen apart."
