Downtown in need of INergizing

Emperors’ Choice was one of the flavored coffees at Francisco de Borja. It was recommended by the barista Carter so I tried it. It was very good! The other flavored coffee was Red Velvet Cake, which did not sound like a flavor made for coffee. Maybe I’ll try that next time. Maybe.

Downtown Linton.

Let me wax nostalgic for a short time. Growing up, there’s a lot I remember about going downtown. Some memories I have are more distinct than others about times spent shopping in the many stores. Dress shops for example. While Mom spent time shopping in the two or three dress shops, I would play in and around the displays. There were two men’s higher-fashion clothing stores.

JC Penney and PN Hirsch, right across from each other, were two clothing stores that carried clothes and shoes for all. Not sure why, but I distinctly remember the Indiana Café, which later became Western Auto and now Made it on Main. It was also the bus stop for the I-V Coach lines. There were at least two drug stores with soda fountains. In addition to the Indiana Café and the drug stores there was Hinkle’s Hamburgers (now the Grill), the Greeks with its famous coneys and Cappies Soda shop (now the Watering Can/Gina’s Flowers).

Murphy’s variety store had almost anything you needed, especially candy and toys. There were two sizeable furniture stores and at least two appliance stores. At one time there were three jewelry stores, I know of two anyway. Pretty sure there were a couple of grocery stores downtown we used to go to. Shoe stores, banks, tire stores, Christian book stores, barber shops and I’m sure several other varieties of stores and businesses located in the downtown area.

Window shopping was a popular pastime, where you could walk the sidewalks of downtown in the evenings checking out the window displays. Stores were open to 8 on Fridays only, which seemed like a social event at the time. One penny in the meter could get you 12 minutes of parking time. Many stores had light switches outside where the local police would “walk the beat” and turn on the lights in the evening. Some of the businesses I remember, and in some cases the owner or manager as well. Have to say I never paid any attention to the buildings.

So, what happened. Building fires took some businesses while others closed when the owner retired, leaving no one to assume the business. The building then became empty and it’s not good for a building to stay empty. A lot of blame is placed on Walmart and shopping malls for the decline of the downtowns. In some cases, that may be true but the way I see it, Walmart didn’t put the appliance stores out of business, or the furniture stores or the car dealerships.

Today we have several empty buildings in need of maintenance, with the second-floor windows boarded up. Vacant areas where a building used to be. There are some successful businesses and offices in the downtown area, but more are needed.

Rediscover Downtown Linton, known as RDL, was created to look at ways to revitalize the downtown area. They made some progress. Recently, that effort was picked up by a new volunteer organization called INErgize Linton. Their focus is to look for opportunities for funds and start an economic renewal in the downtown area. The first task was to apply for funds available through various grants. One particular grant, called Indiana Main Streets, is through the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA). The task of making application is detailed and time-consuming, but worth it if successful. There are other organizations that have funds available for revitalization efforts, some with considerable grant funds available and some with amounts under $10,000. Knowing where to look to find grant opportunities and then being able to follow the required steps in making application can be a full-time position.

In addition to INErgize Linton, Tax Incremental Finance (TIF) districts were established to focus on using tax dollars to fund improvements in the designated areas. More on TIF districts later. The Redevelopment Commission was established to be the overseer of the available funds and determine needs and where the funds should be spent. The hoped-for result of their actions would lead to an increase in assessed value and economic growth. These two organizations complement each other, and work together to focus on the overall goal of downtown improvement.

There are examples where cities roughly the size of Linton have successfully turned around their downtown areas. One example often referred to is Huntingburg, which received a Stellar Grant in 2014 and utilized the funds for several community projects. Jasper is another city utilizing grant funds for several quality-of-life projects. Improving the downtown area can be done and, yes, it takes funds and organizations with committed organizers to seek out and apply for those funds.

Obtaining available funds is step two. Step one is creating a vision of what we, as a community, want to see downtown. We shouldn’t recreate a downtown based on memories of the past, but focus on what is needed today and tomorrow. I would like to see unique retail businesses that bring visitors to Linton just for the shopping experience. I’ve heard other ideas as well, like an upscale hotel. My question is, what is your vision for our downtown? This is not an official survey, but a call for ideas. Ideas, when vetted, will become a plan and that plan is acted on to seek funding, and when funded can become reality. Have an idea for downtown, my email is jpreble@cityoflinton.com. I will share your idea with both INErgize Linton and the Redevelopment Commission.

John Preble is currently serving his first term as the Mayor of Linton, Indiana. This blog will serve as one way for the Mayor’s office to communicate news and items of interest to readers.