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Ripon Main Street, Inc. Phone #: (920) 748-7466 |
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All over the country, downtowns are being rediscovered. Whether principal corridors in small towns or neighborhood commercial districts in large cities, Main Streets are coming back into their own... managing change in the existing environment, and combining historic preservation with downtown development to create a working, growing, and aesthetically pleasing business center.
Hard Work Pays Dividends for Downtown Revitalization Program Downtown Ripon's Main Street program has made steady progress since its inception in 1989. The hard work is beginning to pay off as is evident buy the recent local and national attention the program is receiving.
Tremendous improvements have been made to enhance the appearance and image of downtown Ripon. Dozens of new businesses have been recruited, decreasing the vacancy rate from 26% to less than 3%. Numerous redevelopment projects have helped increase assessed property values by over 74%, amounting to over $14 million in public and private investment. Main Street has assisted with public improvement projects such as the Watson Streetscape renovation, implemented an aggressive business recruitment and retention campaign, and created quality promotions such as the Village Green Concert Series, Dickens of a Christmas, Pumpkin Fest, and the Watson Street Farmer's Market. All of this has been undertaken to spark new interest in Historic Downtown Ripon. Although downtown Ripon's revitalization program has come a long way over the last nineteen years, we still recognize that much remains to be done. The good news is, we are much better off today than we were yesterday. WHAT IS THE MAIN STREET APPROACH? The Main Street approach combines historic preservation with downtown development to create a working, growing, and aesthetically pleasing business center that works to reinforce and rekindle the economic vitality and values once common in our society -- making it once again the unique commercial and social heart of Ripon. Main Street is designed to improve economic and business management, strengthen public participation and transform the downtown into a fun place to visit. These are as critical to Ripon's success as recruiting new business and rehabilitating old buildings. The Main Street approach has earned national recognition as a practical strategy appropriately scaled to each community's local resources and conditions by building on the downtown's inherent assets of rich architecture, personal service and traditional values. Main Street works because of the energy and enthusiasm of volunteers and community support. HOW DOES THE MAIN STREET PROGRAM WORK? ORGANIZATION: Builds partnerships among diverse groups - property owners, merchants, residents, bankers, public officials, the business association and civic groups - who must work together to improve and maintain the downtown. PROMOTION: Reestablishes a strong, positive image to compete with other shopping districts, rekindling community excitement and involvement as well as improving sales. Promotion ranges from street festivals to retail merchandising, from community education to aggressive public relations. DESIGN: Attention must be paid to all visual elements of the downtown area - not just buildings and storefront renovations, but public improvements, rear entry clean-ups, signage, landscaping, window displays and graphic materials. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Strengthens the existing business district while recruiting new stores to provide a balanced retail mix, converting unused space into housing, entertainment or cultural facilities, and sharpening the competitiveness of Ripon's traditional merchants. MISSION STATEMENT OF RIPON MAIN STREET, INC. The purpose of the Ripon Main Street Inc. is to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Ripon. Main Street will work with both the public and private sectors to restore the vitality once common in the downtown by enhancing our community identity and heritage, fostering a center of activity, and ensuring economic stability through concentrated efforts in organization, promotion, design and business development.
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Three times over the last decade, Ripon was selected as a semifinalist for the
Great American Main Street Award which recognizes exceptional accomplishments in
downtown revitalization. The economic development projects initiated by Ripon
Main Street, Inc., such as the renovation of Pratt's Block and most recently the
Scott Street building, are attracting a great deal of attention from other
communities interested in organizational initiated development.