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Committee aims to put new life into downtown Owosso
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Saturday, November 19, 2005 8:49 AM EST
A group which started meeting in late May to discuss strategy to revitalize downtown Owosso, invited others to a special meeting Thursday to seek a broader view of proposals for an improved Owosso.
The so-called “Committee of Seven,” concerned with what some believe is a faltering downtown, was joined by nearly 40 others, business and building owners, managers and Chamber of Commerce and city officials for a lenghty brainstorming session in the now closed Carpenter's Corner.
In the meeting facilitated by Joe Borgstrom, president and CEO of the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce, attendees developed a list of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as they may or may not affect the downtown area.
Downtown Owosso is generally defined as the area bounded on the west by the Shiawassee River and Curwood Castle Drive, Howard Street on the south, then Hickory and Oliver streets on the east and north, respectively.
During lively discussion, those at the meeting defined a low crime rate as the major strength of the downtown area, indeed, of the entire city. Also leading among strengths were mention of the riverfront area, Steam Railroading Institute, Curwood Castle area and the Lebowsky Center. The 23 separate features listed included such as national retailers (JCPenney and Radio Shack), a hotel, movie theater, bowling alley, parking, an outdoor amphitheater, an active Chamber of Commerce, the major highways of M 21 and M 71 and financial institutions.
Among those listed, major strengths were seen as existing assets.
Among weaknesses, parking led the field, followed by lack of effective marketing and few activities for younger people. Among the also rans were vacant storefronts, little or no connection with the downtown of Westown Owosso, no retail balance (no furniture store, no ladies wear, no camera store) and a “negative perception” of the downtown area.
More than 25 separate advantages were tagged as opportunities to produce a better downtown. Topping the list was developing a proper and effective promotion program. Coming in second was organizing downtown special events, then developing a downtown riverfront. Also among those listed as opportunities were developing the vacant lot at the city's main four corners, developing a downtown transit system, tying into the proposed rails-to-trails project Ionia to Owosso, promoting tourism, improving downtown building facades and promoting more extensive use of the outdoor amphitheater.
Then there are the threats to downtown Owosso. Most important in the eyes of those at the Thursday morning meeting was a lack of niche (specialty) stores, followed by shopping outside the downtown area and lack of a women's clothing store. Others threats identified included presence of nearby “big box” stores, a lack of awareness of what the downtown already has, a poor economy, inconsistent and non-uniform retail business hours and inaction.
Facilitator Borgstrom then asked participants to gather as groups of about five people each and “redesign downtown.” From a listing and recommendations developed by that activity, the core committee will draft a master plan for the downtown, a plan which will be critiqued and modified, as necessary, at a future meeting.
Among suggestions which will be considered in writing a plan and which were presented at the meeting were: redeveloping the riverfront from Washington Street to M 52, sectionalizing the old D.M. Christian Co. building into areas for niche stores, finding a major retailer to fill the first floor of the Carpenter's Corner building, establishing a temporary park on the lot where the Hotel Owosso once stood and pursuing permanent development of that space, improving the riverwalk, improving Curwood Castle Park, establishing an indoor (or covered) year around farmers' market, tying in the Steam Railroading Institute with the proposed rails-to-trails project Ionia to Owosso, developing an entertainment district and restaurants along the river, developing loft apartments or condominiums along the river, encouraging establishment of a downtown full-service grocery store, developing offices and service stores on second levels of existing buildings, determining most effective use of the soon to be abandoned National Guard armory and, finally, developing a visual plan of the downtown to attract future investors.
Members of the original Committee of Seven were Jim Civille, owner, Civille Real Estate One; Peggy Gulick, former president and CEO of Memorial Heathcare; Harry Kurtz, retired Owosso retail merchant; Denise A. Bannan, president, Baker College of Owosso; Jim Slingerland, president, Slingerland Chrysler-Dodge Inc.; Dick Campbell, chairman and editor, The Argus-Press; and Michael Flores, owner and publisher, Independent Ad-Visor Group. The committee was later joined by John Harrison, president, Chemical Bank & Trust-Owosso; Gregg Guetschow, city manager, city of Owosso; and Joseph B. Borgstrom, president and CEO, Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce.