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Are cosmetic improvements alone enough to spur an economic revival? Can hanging flower baskets and new flagpoles really be enough to bring new customers to a shopping district? In Lou Santiago's experience, it's as good a start as any.
Santiago was one of the forces behind Project Pride, the volunteer force that recreated North Tonawanda's historic Webster Street. Santiago's insurance office sits on Webster, across the street from the Riviera Theater. From his window, he could see several empty storefronts along the two blocks of Webster Street.
Project Pride was created at the behest of City Hall. Municipal government joined forces with merchants and concerned citizens.
"We wanted to develop a different sense of something on Webster Street," Santiago said. "The intent was to invigorate, and I think we accomplished that."
Project Pride procured new flagpoles and adorned them with flower baskets. They hung uniform advertisers' banners above the baskets, and lined the sidewalk with brick. Store owners jumped into the program, buying new signage and co-promoting one another's businesses. All of a sudden, viable businesses opened in those empty storefronts. Santiago contends that Webster Street's rebirth has positive effects for the entire city.
"It's about impact," Santiago said. "People are going to see what we've done, and they're going to like what they see. That's going to make them want to go deeper into the city to see more of these things."
Santiago said Project Pride will continue to make improvements on Webster Street, but said he hopes it can be used as an example in other areas of the city.
"We would invent the wheel. Then we'd invite other parts of the city--like Oliver Street--to incorporate themselves," he said. "We don't want to go in there and do all the work for them, but we can show them what we were able to do and help give them ideas on how they'd like to proceed."
In Niagara Falls, the Main Street Business and Professional Association faces a more daunting task. Main Street is about three miles long. Many of its storefronts aren't just empty--they're boarded shut and in states of disrepair. But while the scope of repairs needed along Main Street is considerably larger than on Webster Street, association president Marge Gillies said her organization and Project Pride share a similar approach.
"People have told me Main Street is a much cleaner street now than it has been for years," Gillies said. "Our strong effort this year will be to market our existing businesses--those that have been here all along--and those businesses that have just arrived."
The MSBPA is in the midst of a 10-year community plan designed to create commercial development. They have completed an audit of available buildings that will be available to prospective merchants. Gillies said she receives an average of one serious start-up or relocation inquiry per week.
Main Street currently is under study by the Buffalo-based Parsons Transportation Group, which is slated to complete its study and make recommendations for improvements by May 2001. Gillies said the group already has pointed out a lack of signage identifying the street as a commercial district, an oversight Gillies called "a serious shortcoming."
The association has also opened its "Re-Discover Main Street" campaign, which is designed to capitalize on the nostalgia for the Main Street of yesteryear. "People remember their Main Street and how it once was."
Gillies said. "We have much more to do. We recognize that. But we're getting a lot of nice feedback."
Gillies said the association also is pursuing national historical register status for several buildings and is committed to preserving the street's unique architecture.
When Project Pride began, the volunteers brainstormed improvements they wanted to see on Webster Street. The result was a $1.1 million project.
They jettisoned new signal lights and other ambitious improvements and whittled that figure down to $350,000. Santiago said the city provided about $230,000. Additional funds were raised by Webster Street merchants and, with cooperation from the city, improvements to Webster Street were completed over a few years.
However, in Niagara Falls, available funds are split between Main and Pine streets and Center City. "We're in competition, but essentially I don't see it as a real competitive spirit," Gillies said. She said the association has been able to make do with its resources and said Main Street has not had any real hurdles to leap on the road to revitalization.
Santiago said the biggest obstacle in the way of grassroots improvements of a neighborhood lies in public sentiment.
"It can't just be assumed that public opinion is on your side. You have to watch the way you handle public perception," Santiago said. "There will be people who don't want to replace a pole when the old one was still working. You have to have your points prepared and be willing to discuss them without arguing."