Downtown Wadsworth is now a Main Street community! Wadsworth has been offered membership into the Heritage Ohio Main Street Program. The Main Street approach is “the foundation for local initiatives to revitalize their community by leveraging local assets—from cultural or architectural heritage to local enterprises and community pride.”
Main Street programs focus on organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring.
“As the current Executive Director of Downtown Wadsworth for over 10 years, I am excited that our Main Street dream is finally coming to realization,” explained Jack Ollom, executive director of Downtown Wadsworth, Inc. “Having spent a lot of time with my counter-parts in Main Street programs around the state, I am looking forward to the immense possibilities that this change brings to Wadsworth.”
The remainder of 2015 will be a transition year for Downtown Wadsworth, Inc. as it becomes part of the Main Street Program. The transition will begin with a two day visit by representatives of Heritage Ohio on May 28 and 29. During this visit, community members will be invited to attend a meeting on May 29 from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Wadsworth City Hall to hear Heritage Ohio’s recommendations on how Main Street Wadsworth should move forward.
“They’ll bring in other Main Street managers and kind of take our temperatures,” Ollom explained. “They look at building conditions, traffic, residential versus commercial properties, and then give a report to Wadsworth, showing where we need to move next.”
The visit will also involve training and a strategic planning session with the Downtown Wadsworth, Inc.’s board of directors.
A Main Street Manager position will be full-time and will include new responsibilities that align with Main Street programs and be partially funded by money allocated to the Main Street program by Wadsworth City Council. The board of directors plans to complete an open search process, beginning in the fall of 2015, for the position. The selected candidate will begin in Jan. 2016.
“We believe becoming a Main Street Community will be a great benefit to the City of Wadsworth,” Andrew Hill, President of the Downtown Wadsworth, Inc. Board of Directors said. ” On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank everyone who played a role in the detailed work involved in applying for and being accepted into this program. We look forward to our future as a Main Street Community.”
Previous WCR Coverage:
4/7/15: Wadsworth hoping to become a Main Street City: http://bit.ly/1CYt91Q
4/9/15: Heritage Ohio officials touring downtown to determine if Wadsworth will be newest Main Street City: http://bit.ly/1yfZdPW
4/9/15: Wadsworth business leaders learn about Main Street communities: http://bit.ly/1JNT5Pk
