Old Buildings, New Attitudes

Archive for the ‘News’ Category

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.

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.

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.

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, Missouri, has been chosen as a semi-finalist for the 2010 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA). Award winners will be announced in May 2010 at the National Main Streets Conference in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc. (DLSMS), a 501c3 non-profit and the nominating organization, is a nationally-accredited Main Street program through the National Trust Main Street Center, a division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The GAMSA® Award recognizes communities that are implementing successful downtown revitalization strategies, and all communities selected must have accredited Main Street programs that follow the Main Street Four-Point Approach® to commercial district revitalization. One of ten semi-finalists selected in the United States, downtown Lee’s Summit will complete a rigorous final application process. A panel of downtown revitalization professionals will select five communities to win the GAMSA® Award.

Lee’s Summit’s Mayor Karen Rose Messerli released a statement after the selection was announced. “Congratulations to Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street on the great honor of being chosen as a semifinalist for the 2010 Great American Main Street Award. Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street’s inclusion among this list of semifinalists, across the country, is evidence that our beautiful downtown is quickly emerging from a local treasure and the heart of our community into a much deserved national spotlight. I couldn’t be more proud.”

According to Jeanine Rann, Executive Director of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, their organization has been implementing downtown revitalization strategies for twenty years “I am thrilled that we have been recognized at the National level for all of the hard work and investment our community, volunteers, partners and staff have put into the downtown revitalization effort. This reinforces what we have believed all along, that great strategic planning that is incremental and focuses on quality will result in great community pride and an economically healthy business district”.

The 2009 GAMSA® Award winners were: Livermore, California; Rehoboth Beach, Delaware; El Dorado, Arkansas; Federal Hill – Baltimore, Maryland; and Broadway District – Green Bay, Wisconsin.

DLSMS is one of only four nationally-accredited Main Street programs in the state of Missouri. There are over 1,200 regional, state, and local programs in the United States. DLSMS was recently honored with the Greatest Achievement Award for best downtown revitalization organization by the Missouri Main Street Connection, the state Main Street coordinating program. DLSMS has been implementing revitalization strategies for twenty years.

For more information about Downtown Lee’s Summit, please visit http://www.downtownls.org. For more information about the GAMSA® Awards, please visit http://www.preservationnation.org/gamsa.

Lee’s Summit was recently honored with 3 Downtown Revitalization Awards at Missouri Main Street Connection’s Evening of Excellence. The City of Lee’s Summit won Best Downtown Public Improvement Project for its downtown streetscape improvements, and Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., won Best Creative Fundraising Event for its Piccadilly Gala.  Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., also won the highest honor of the evening, the Greatest Achievement Award, for the best downtown revitalization organization in the state.  The event was held in the Congress Ballroom at the Hilton President Hotel in Downtown Kansas City and capped off Missouri Main Street Connection’s Missouri Downtown Revitalization Conference. 

 

Judges included a staff representative from the National Trust Main Street Center, a field representative from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a State Main Street Director from a neighboring Midwestern state.  Judges chose winners based on the following criteria: quality support materials, accurate documentation and written narrative; information presented was informative and directly meets the criteria described under the award category; achieves substantial impact on the downtown district and/or organization; demonstrates efficient use of available local resources. ie. people, other organizations, partners, in-kind and financial; reinforces and capitalizes on the unique assets of the local community; and overall the nomination is excellent and should be proudly recognized as a top award winner at the Evening of Excellence.

 

Organizations and individuals from 14 Missouri communities were nominated and/or honored in 16 different award categories.  Lee’s Summit had semi-finalists in 3 other categories, including Kurt Pycior of Pycior + Co. for Best Adaptive Re-Use Project for the Hartley Block Redevelopment, Jerry’s Bait Shop for Business Excellence and Steve Tominia of Cameron’s Home Furnishings for Volunteer of the Year.  Lee’s Summit was further showcased at the event as staff from Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., participated in the evening’s program by coordinating a mini-Piccadilly auction for the guests.  Kurt Pycior also emceed that portion of the event.

 

Missouri Main Street Connection is the coordinating state program for Main Street communities across the state.  Lee’s Summit is one of only four Nationally-accredited Main Street programs in the state, while over 120 Missouri communities follow some aspect of the Main Street Four-Point™ Approach.

 

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

The Lee’s Summit Beautification Commission has installed new flower planters at the 3rd & Douglas intersection in Downtown Lee’s Summit!  Three different sized planters contain a variety of plants, including canna lilies, purple fountain grass, black-eyed susan, blue plumbago and sweet potato vine.

If you haven’t been to Downtown Lee’s Summit in awhile, come see what you’re missing!  New stores and restaurants, and beautiful touches like these flower planters, make downtown Lee’s Summit a great place to visit this summer.

Two Main Street representatives were in town on Friday, November 7th to meet with DLSMS Staff, DLSMS committees, and City officials for an accreditation review.  Norma Miess of the National Trust Main Street Center, and Gayla Roten of Missouri Main Street Connection, met with all four committees: promotions, design, economic restructuring, and organization.  The Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street program was evaluated on ten performance areas:

1.	Has broad-based community support for the commercial district revitalization process, with strong support from both the public and private sectors.
2.	Has developed vision and mission statements relevant to community conditions and to the local Main Street program’s organizational stage.
3.	Has a comprehensive Main Street work plan
4.	Possesses an historic preservation ethic
5.	Has an active board of directors and committees
6.	Has an adequate operating budget
7.	Has a paid professional program manager
8.	Conducts a program of ongoing training for staff and volunteers
9.	Reports key statistics
10.	Is a current member of the National Trust Main Street Network

The representatives reported the findings of their assessment in a wrap-up meeting that evening, and informed us of our accredited status for 2009!  Further detail and recommendations for improvements will be provided to us in a written report.  Congratulations to the over 62 committee members who volunteer so much of their time to make our downtown healthy & vibrant! 

Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street is one of only four accredited Main Street programs in the State of Missouri.  For more information about the Main Street Approach to commercial district revitalization, please visit www.mainstreet.org.

Hi Everyone,

Reading the news this past weekend, it was great to see Downtown Lee’s Summit mentioned.  Just thought I’d share…

• Both the Lee’s Summit Journal and Kansas City Star mentioned the Lee’s Summit Parks & Recreation’s Jamaican Jam.  Scheduled for this Friday, July 18th, the festivities start at 7:00 pm and go until 10:30 pm in front of City Hall (220 SE Green Street).  Four Reggae performers will take the stage.  Food and drinks are available, and people are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.  We love having these great summer concerts in Downtown LS!
• Sunday’s (7/13) Fashion Forward article in Star Magazine featured products from both Pophearts and Molly Jayne’s Boutique.  Congratulations to both of these Downtown LS businesses for being recognized!
• Money Magazine ranked Lee’s Summit as the 79th Best Place to Live in the United States for 2008.  The online information even mentions downtown and our recent streetscape construction!
• And finally, Brad Culbertson and I sat down with Sean McAnally last week to give him a quick update about the CID.  Check out the Downtown CID article from Saturday’s (7/12) Lee’s Summit Tribune. 

Since I work in downtown revitalization, I like to read about what’s going on in other cities… 

• My sister is living in New York City this summer, so I’ve had a huge interest in anything New York.  I just read about plans to eliminate two lanes of traffic on Broadway from 42nd Street to Herald Square.  The new ”Broadway Boulevard” esplanade would be a pedestrain walkway with room for cafe tables and chairs, etc.  The closing of streets to make pedestrian malls has long been an issue up for debate among Main Streeters.  
• Since I was just there in March, an article about Philadelphia’s innovative use of 3-D traffic controlling devices also caught my eye.  I read about them in Sunday’s Kansas City Star, but this article includes a great picture.  Traffic controlling devices always create debate – but this new idea is at least intriguing.

That’s it for today!

Sarah   

Please join Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street Merchants and the City of Lee’s Summit for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the re-opening of Fourth Street in Downtown Lee’s Summit.  The construction is now completely over and it’s a new era for Downtown Lee’s Summit!  Light refreshments will be served.

When:  Tuesday, June 17th at 9:00 am

Where: Corner of 4th and Douglas (by the Filling Station)

Hope to see you there!