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Osage
City paves way for Main Street
Wayne White | Managing Editor
Osage City is right on track toward becoming a Kansas Main Street
community, with official notification last week of the town’s
acceptance into the Kansas Department of Commerce (KDOC) Inside
Track program. Each year, Kansas Main Street selects no more than
three communities to receive assistance in making application for
the Main Street designation.
“We are excited to welcome Osage City to our ‘first
class’ of Inside Track communities,” said Jeanne Stinson,
of Kansas Main Street, in the July 29 letter that announced the
city’s acceptance in the program. “Over the next several
months the Kansas Main Street staff will be working with you to
strengthen your local efforts in downtown revitalization while preparing
you to apply for full designated Kansas Main Street status.”
“Basically, they will help us get downtown owners and concerned
citizens more informed so we can make application for the Main Street
program next year,” said Osage City Manager Nick Hernandez
Tuesday.
Communities that are seeking to be Kansas Main Street towns are
required to participate in the Inside Track program. The goal of
Inside Track is to provide participants access to state and national
downtown development experts, and provide services to ready the
town for the Main Street downtown revitalization program. The intent
of the program is for a community to spend one year at the Inside
Track tier before making formal application to become a Main Street
town.
The services will begin next week with an Aug. 13 meeting of KDOC
officials and Osage City citizens at the Osage City Santa Fe Depot.
The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. with a work session to provide
information about the Main Street program. The meeting will conclude
in the afternoon after a tour of Osage City and the downtown area.
Hernandez said anyone interested could attend the meeting.
“It’s pretty much open to everyone who has strong interest,
whoever wants to attend,” he said.
Hernandez said city staff and the city council have provided the
impetus toward designating Osage City as a Main Street community.
Two meetings have been held to judge interest of downtown business
owners in participating in the program.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation developed Main Street
methodology to approach downtown revitalization in four key areas
– organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring.
Following next week’s meeting, Kansas Main Street will prepare
a 90-day work plan for the core group of interested individuals.
Afterwards, a second KDOC visit to Osage City will be scheduled
and dates set for implementing future services. |
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