The first step should be to organize! City Hall, local businesses, downtown property owners and the public should come together to identify the issues and work on solutions. The last thing most people want is another committee to join, however if there is a commitment to meet at a certain time, end at a specific time and stick to the topics at hand…the pool of willing participants will be there.
Strive to make your downtown look like something out of the ordinary is going on…this applies to all visual aspects of downtown. Everything should be up for discussion and consideration:
What will it hurt to ask property owners to keep up their buildings?
Remove weeds between sidewalk and the building
Keep the area in front of a building clear of debris / garbage
Wash store front windows
Encourage painting and other visual improvements
Encourage property owners to utilize their store front windows or allow local artists to do so (more about this later)
