Old Buildings, New Attitudes

On Friday, March 12, 2010, Lee’s Summit businesses are asked to encourage employees to each give a suggested minimum donation of $5 to wear jeans and their favorite Big 12 team gear to work in support of Melodrama Madness. Not only will employees have the opportunity to dress down and support their favorite Big 12 team (during the Big 12 Tournament), but they will be supporting the “Home Team” community partners in their efforts to renovate the Arnold Hall Theater, future home of Martin City Melodrama.

Melodrama Madness is a community-wide fundraising initiative to support the Arnold Hall Theater Renovation. This initiative supports efforts to remodel and refurbish Arnold Hall into a comprehensive cultural and performing arts campus in Downtown Lee’s Summit. The city of Lee’s Summit, Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce, Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council, Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Lee’s Summit Historic Preservation Commission, Lee’s Summit Historical Society and the Lee’s Summit Municipal Building & Equipment Authority are the “Home Team” community partners working to make the Arnold Hall Theater Renovation a slam dunk success for the Lee’s Summit community.

Businesses can further participate by matching their employee’s donations. All donations are tax deductible with proceeds going to the Lee’s Summit Municipal Building & Equipment Authority, the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization overseeing the renovation, management and ongoing operations of the Arnold Hall Theater. All businesses and individuals will be listed as supporters of the Arnold Hall Theater Renovation as the process continues to move through the approvals from city and state.

Melodrama Madness participation forms are available at the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce, 220 SE Main Street, or online here. All forms and donations should be submitted to the Team Point Guard, the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce, by Friday, March 19.

Just for fun, businesses, employees and individuals can also target their donations towards their favorite Big 12 Team. Wonder which Big 12 Team will have the most money donated?

Be a part of the Melodrama Madness! Join the Arnold Hall Theater Renovation Team Roster today!

For more information about the Arnold Hall Theater Renovation, visit www.arnoldhalltheater.com. For questions about Melodrama Madness, please contact the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce,
(816) 524-2424.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Downtown Lee’s Summit! Saturday, March 13th, beginning at 1:00 pm, join Downtown Lees Summit Main Street, Inc., for its fifth annual Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day parade. Grab your friends or coworkers and show us your Irish heritage as you march proudly through Downtown Lee’s Summit!

The Parade will start at Lee’s Summit High School and proceed west on 8th, then north on Green to 3rd, then west on 3rd to SE Main, then north on SE Main. The parade will then cross 2nd street and disperse at the United Methodist Church. Awards will follow at Howard Station Park.

Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., is now accepting parade entries for floats, marching groups, vehicles, etc. Applications are due March 1st, and can be found along with parade rules on the events page at www.downtownls.org. The non-profit organization/family rate is $30.00, and the commercial/small business/political rate is $75.00.

All floats and/or vehicles must be decorated for St. Patrick’s Day and this year’s special theme is “Show Me Your Heritage - What’s in Your Irish Stew?” Entries are invited to explore Irish traditions and their own familial heritage through costumes, music, family crests and more.

Of course there will be green balloons, green streamers, green hats, green shirts, green shamrocks, and probably even green hair. Show us your Irish spirit by being a part of this fun, family-friendly event right here in your own community!

This event is being presented by Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc. (DLSMS), in partnership with the Lee’s Summit Journal and the Bank of Lee’s Summit. DLSMS is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Lee’s Summit.

For more information about this event or other upcoming Downtown Lee’s Summit events, visit www.downtownls.org or call 816-246-6598.

This Old House magazine has recognized Old Lee’s Summit, Missouri, as one of their Best Old House Neighborhoods 2010. The Old Lee’s Summit area surrounds the downtown Lee’s Summit historic business district, and includes four historic neighborhoods listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc. (DLSMS), nominated the Old Lee’s Summit area for This Old House magazine’s third annual Best Places to Buy an Old House contest, which led to the selection. Sarah Shore, Assistant Director of DLSMS, is pleased with the recognition. “One of our organization’s goals is to elevate the image of Downtown Lee’s Summit in the region, and nationally. Our vibrant downtown, and the quality historic neighborhoods that surround it, set us apart from other communities. We are pleased that This Old House magazine has recognized Lee’s Summit with its selection.”

The Old Lee’s Summit area includes homes within a wide range of prices and with a variety of architectural styles, including 1880’s farmhouses, early 1900’s Queen Anne’s, colonial revivals, 1920’s craftsmen bungalows, and post WW-II cottages. Neighborhood schools and parks, walkable streets, affordable homes and proximity to the downtown business district make the Old Lee’s Summit area popular among new and long-time residents.

A total of fifty-one neighborhoods, one from each state, were selected as Best Old House Neighborhoods with Old Lee’s Summit being the selection from Missouri. This Old House magazine notes the “bustling” downtown commercial district and excellent public schools as a reason to buy in the Old Lee’s Summit area, and describes Lee’s Summit as a “quintessential suburb” with year-round events and a revitalized downtown.

Lee’s Summit City Manager, Stephen Arbo, is also pleased with the selection. “It is an honor to know that Lee’s Summit has been selected for this distinction. There are many stakeholders involved in the success of our downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Our Mayor and City Council have been implementing a tool called the “Downtown Master Plan” to keep our common vision; Creating a sense of place in the heart of our city. Investing in an older home requires significant financial and emotional commitments. We want to do all that we can to reward and encourage these types of community investments in the future.”

A full list of the Best Old House Neighborhoods 2010 can be found on This Old House magazine’s website, http://www.thisoldhouse.com.

Downtown Lee’s Summit will host its annual Spring Open House Friday through Sunday, March 5th-7th, during regular business hours. Customers are invited to take a day to renew, refresh, and relax in the downtown. The businesses will have you dreaming of spring as they unveil their new spring merchandise.

New this year, customers can enter to win a $100 downtown shopping spree. The Spring Open House is hosted by the Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street (DLSMS) Promotions Committee. DLSMS is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Lee’s Summit. For more information, please visit www.downtownls.org or call 816-246-6598.

Downtown Lee’s Summit’s Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 13, 2010. This year marks the 5th Anniversary of the event.

“Show Me Your Heritage - What’s in Your Irish Stew?” is the parade’s theme. Businesses and families are encouraged to showcase their Irish Heritage or illustrate their family’s cultural mix, whether through decor, music or some other sort of expression, and boast about it as they parade through Downtown Lee’s Summit.

The parade is expected to be bigger and better than ever, says Chuck Denton, owner of Doherty & Sullivan’s Irish Goods and chairman of the parade. Denton, with the help of Mary Pechar of Green Beauty Salon & Day Spa, has grown the parade and helped Lee’s Summit celebrate all things Irish. “Together, we’ve helped the parade to grow from a few fun folks to last year’s gargantuan event. We had 800 people actually IN the parade. I cannot tell you how many came to watch it, but the crowd as you turn the corner of Green and 3rd Street is simply breath-taking. It makes me tear up every year. I love my parade and I love Lee’s Summit. That’s why I participate.”

This year’s Grand Marshall is Kathy Smith. As president of the Lee’s Summit Historical Society and the Lee’s Summit Historic Preservation Commission, Kathy knows a thing or two about heritage. The committee cited Kathy’s community involvement as the main reason for their choice, but her involvement with and knowledge of Lee’s Summit history fit the theme nicely too.

The parade is an event of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Lee’s Summit. Parade entry forms are now available on the events page of http://www.downtownls.org/, or by calling 816-246-6598. Entry forms are due by March 1st.

Downtown Lee’s Summit will host its 3rd Annual Chocolate Crawl from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, February 6, 2010. Customers are invited to wear red, and follow the pink and red balloons to free chocolate treats and health screenings while they shop for Valentine’s Day.

Customers should follow the pink balloons to participating stores, where they can enjoy a variety of free chocolate treats and enter to win a Valentine’s Day gift basket filled with products and gift cards. The first 300 customers to visit either A Thyme for Everything (231 SE Main) or The Living Stone (18 SE Third Street) will receive a box filled with coupons from participating stores. The boxes are only available the day of the event.

Downtown Lee’s Summit is also proud to partner with Lee’s Summit Medical Center to offer free health screenings. New to the event this year, the health screenings will include cholesterol, bone density, posture assessment, blood pressure and more. A total of 10 health screening stations will be offered inside participating businesses throughout downtown. These health screenings help celebrate the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement, which raises awareness about heart disease. All health screening stations will be marked with red balloons.

Downtown Lee’s Summit’s 3rd Annual Chocolate Crawl is brought to you by Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc. (DLSMS), in partnership with Lee’s Summit Medical Center. DLSMS is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Lee’s Summit. For more information, please visit www.downtownls.org or call 816-246-6598.

Ed and Wanda Fisher of Gladstone, Missouri, are the proud winners of an all-inclusive trip for two to the Riviera Maya, Mexico. The trip was part of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street’s holiday promotional campaign, and was sponsored by The Travel Source in conjunction with Karisma Hotels & Resorts and Funjet.

Upon the announcement of their win, the Fishers fondly recalled the evening they spent in Lee’s Summit. Along with their children and nine grandchildren, they took Amtrak from Union Station in Kansas City, MO, into Lee’s Summit to celebrate Ed’s 60th birthday and retirement from the Santa Fe Railroad. After dinner in the party room at Maxwell’s, they spent the evening shopping with their family and signed up to win the trip after a purchase in Cameron’s Home Furnishings. They had almost forgotten about their entry until Vicki Hedberg of The Travel Source called them on December 26th to congratulate them on their big win.

Wanda Fisher will be celebrating her 60th birthday later this year, so the Fishers plan to celebrate their birthdays together when they travel to Mexico. They will enjoy a four day/three night all-inclusive stay at the five star Azul Sensatori resort in the Riviera Maya.

Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Lee’s Summit. For more information about other Downtown Lee’s Summit events and promotions, please visit www.downtownls.org.

Save these dates in 2010 for Downtown Lee’s Summit special events!

February

6: Chocolate Crawl

March

5-7: Spring Open House

13: Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day Parade

April

3: Downtown Bunny Hop

24: Farmers Market Begins

May

28: Music in the Park Begins

June

4-6: Downtown Days

10: Ladies Night Out

July

24: Sidewalk Sale

August

27-29: Fall Open House

September

16: Piccadilly Gala

24-25: Chamber’s Oktoberfest

October

15-17: Sneak Peek Holiday Open House

30: Halloween Parade

November

5-7: Traditional Holiday Open House

19: Mayor’s Tree Lighting

December 2009 marks the twenty-year anniversary of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that was first incorporated on December 20, 1989. Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., is an accredited Main Street program through the National Trust Main Street Center®. The organization follows the Main Street Four-Point Approach® to commercial district revitalization with a focus on design, economic restructuring, organization and promotions. The twenty-year anniversary will be celebrated throughout the next twelve months by honoring volunteers, partners, and City leaders, and educating the public about the organization and downtown revitalization.

Lee’s Summit began its Main Street program in 1989 after a cycle of disinvestment left the downtown commercial district with vacancies, declining property values and aging infrastructure. Visionary leaders came together to determine how to make the historic downtown thrive once again, and formed the organization after learning of the Main Street program. These same leaders recognized that downtown would need basic infrastructure improvements if it were to remain viable. Aging and deteriorating infrastructure was a threat to the historic building inventory, and to business development. Persistent and frequent flooding was not only an annoyance, but deterred investment in downtown buildings and required frequent maintenance by property owners. Cracked sidewalks, overgrown trees, and lack of lighting were not only unpleasant aesthetically, but also created safety hazards. The Vision of the Heart plan created in 1992 was a significant step in gaining improvements for the downtown core. It also led to a proposed no tax increase bond issue in 2002, which was ultimately passed by the citizens of Lee’s Summit. This bond issue provided funds for the new City Hall, parking garage, and much needed downtown street reconstruction and streetscape improvements. The Old Lee’s Summit Development Master Plan, adopted by the City Council in February 2004, integrated the much needed infrastructure improvements with basic revitalization strategies for a complete downtown improvements package. Construction began in Spring of 2006 and ended the Summer of 2008.

Today, the downtown vacancy rate is low at approximately 6%, property values have soared, and over 180 businesses are located within 8 square blocks. Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., has recently been honored with the Greatest Achievement Award by Missouri Main Street Connection for the best downtown revitalization organization in the state. Downtown Lee’s Summit has also been selected as a semi-finalist for a Great American Main Street Award, honoring five communities in the United States for achievements in downtown revitalization.

While much has been achieved over twenty years, the work of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., and its partners is not done. Revitalization strategies will continue, with a focus on business retention and expansion, business recruitment, parking strategies, and sustainable funding for increased services.

Jeanine Rann, Executive Director of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, reflects on twenty years of revitalization: “The success downtown Lee’s Summit has enjoyed in the revitalization effort is due to an incremental approach, a clear vision and the dedication of many. One of the key factors is the broad-based community support and the belief that downtown is truly the heart of our community.”

For more information about Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., please visit www.downtownls.org.

Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street will host the Mayor’s Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, November 20, 2009, at 6:30 pm in Howard Station Park at the corner of Third and SE Main. The event is sponsored by Bank of Lee’s Summit.

The Mayor will light the downtown with over 100,000 SPARKLING lights. Free hot chocolate and cookies, musical performances and a visit from Santa, Mrs. Claus and his elves will get you in the holiday spirit! Bring your camera and snap photos with Santa, then stay awhile and visit businesses open late until 9 pm.

New this year is the Snowball Drop, where 2,000 white ping pong balls will fall from the sky. Each snowball will list a great discount at a participating downtown store. The discounts may be used throughout the weekend, November 20-22.

Visitors are encouraged to find on-street parking, or to park in the parking garage located at the corner of 2nd and Green by City Hall.

For more information about Downtown Lee’s Summit, please visit www.downtownls.org.