Life is Downtown!
In light of the recent tragic explosion on March 5th that destroyed nearly one half of the 200 block of East Main in Bozeman, I thought it appropriate to dedicate this issue to an in-depth look at downtown and its place in our community and local economy.
How does one begin to put into perspective what downtown Bozeman means to its citizens? For each of us, it is a different set of special memories, usually involving family and friends…it is the ideal destination for a Saturday morning coffee, a warm evening walk or the perfect place to entertain out-of-area guests. Whether it is to enjoy a top notch meal, view stunning artwork, shop in any of the numerous specialty stores, or just be a part of the vibrant hub of Bozeman, Main Street is considered “the” place to be. The Downtown Business Association’s slogan of “Life is Downtown” seems highly appropriate. The energy of this distinct area is felt through numerous special events including the Christmas Stroll, the Art Walk series, Music on Main, and the Sweet Pea Festival, among countless others. While towns and cities all over speak of the demise of their downtown districts and the dominance of strip malls and big box stores, Bozeman has stood apart as a crown jewel by evoking community pride and setting the bar high for other areas. I think we can all agree that spending time downtown is the premiere shopping experience in Bozeman, and perhaps Montana and beyond. But I would like to look a little deeper than the “experiential aspects” of the downtown shopping district and examine its progress, economic importance and future significance.
Of course, staying vibrant and retaining “destination” status does not occur without a large amount of work and forward thinking. Downtown Bozeman’s current look and feel did not happen by accident. Dedicated business owners and city and state officials have worked over the past decade to preserve and enhance the “street face of downtown”. With the creation of a downtown “tax increment financing” district, the City of Bozeman, Montana Department of Transportation highway funds, the federal government and other public funding sources have injected over $15,000,000 in improvements to historic downtown, including the significant construction projects over the past several summers. The water and sewer project was successfully completed. The Main Street streetscape project was completed last year, which resulted in upgrades including universal access, new sidewalks, historic street lamps, trash receptacles, pedestrian benches, bike racks and cobble stone cross walks. State of the art traffic lights and road improvements are now in place. Soroptomist Park located at Rouse and Main received a beautiful and timely upgrade. And after nearly 10 years of planning and construction, Bozeman’s first multi-level parking garage will soon open, located one block north of Main Street between Black and Tracy streets. The Downtown Parking Garage will contain both leased and hourly parking options for a total of 435 parking spaces. Retail and restaurant spaces will line the Garage along Mendenhall Street and Tracy Avenue. The Garage will also serve as the downtown transit station for the Streamline bus system.
Please visit our website to read the article: http://www.eralandmark.com/stories/bozeman/life-downtown
