Editorial

Exciting vision for downtown

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

A "Visioning Session" Monday night for downtown McCook was a friendly, productive session, and resulted in long-term goals that could make a difference for years to come.

McCook Main Street volunteers met with state director J.L. Schmidt again Tuesday to hammer out the final vision statement, which will serve as a guideline for Main Street projects over the next few years, as well as a framework for enhancing what "the bricks" already have to offer.

There are some good ideas.

They include an entertainment plaza building on the historic Fox Theater and Keystone Hotel, trees and green spaces and other features designed to make downtown McCook a welcoming place.

As the vision is realized, amenities such as more music, ethnic foods, coffee shops, books, games and Internet cafes can be established, expanded or enhanced.

Working with the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce, McCook Economic Development Corp., city government and community, the McCook Main Street Program seeks to diversity and enhance a mix of places to enjoy food and drinks, merchandise and specialty shops to make downtown more friendly.

That list only skims the top of the ideas that will go into the final Visioning Statement, and lists not at all a number of specific projects that are in the dreaming, planning or actual completion stages.

It's great to see downtown McCook working together so well, and reassuring that the resources and expertise of the Lied Main Street program are available to see the ideas through to fruition.

We're looking forward to to a peek at the final statement, and watching while progressive leaders put the ideas into action.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: