Last year, the Noblesville City Council and the Mayor agreed on passing the cost of trash collection back to the individual citizens and the money that was used to pay for the service would be allocated in four areas. Downtown improvements, additional paving, Noblesville Police Department Drug Tash Force and rebuilding the County Option Income Tax fund.
Adding to the utility bill the cost of trash collection amounted to a little over $10.00 per month with continuing increases. But the promise to reinvest in the Downtown had merit and the promise has been kept. The improvements will show and citizens can feel pride in their investment into the most important asset in this historic community.
A newly formed committee made up of Council, Administration, County representatives, Chamber of Commerce, Main Street and citizens will oversee the $500,000 per year reinvestment into the downtown in repairs, replacement, new revitalization ideas and enforcing the elements proven to make historic downtowns thrive and not disappear like so many other Midwestern communities.
An official plan is suggested to make sure the improvements fit the vision along with other efforts currently in place. The idea is to make the traditional commercial districts a distinctive “strong sense of place”.
Why would a person choose as a destination Noblesville’s historic downtown district? There are no large national chains, no deep discount prices and no acres of free parking. Historic downtowns have something special seldom associated with regional shopping malls, it is called “strong sense of place.”
How to achieve that “strong sense of place” is a constant commitment to reinforce the effort with time and money. With the help of Noblesville Main Street, Noblesville Chamber of Commerce, City dedication and investment, County investment, citizen’s reinvestment of dollars, new ideas and commitments by the entire community, much success is noted. However, it is a constant commitment to make sure Noblesville’s downtown remains the center of activity, retains the hometown feeling and the all-important “strong sense of place”.
Noblesville recently refunded the successful façade program for the historic downtown at $100,000. This is a Façade Improvement Grant Program started in 2007 with 47 grants awarded to Downtown building owners on a 50/50 (with a max of $25,000) split of dollars toward outside improvements.
To date $677,471.86 has been granted by the city resulting in $878,419.27 in private investment. A review committee and Board of Works approve all applicants. A total of 4 or 5 projects can be completed with the new money. In 2016, no downtown improvement were granted or completed.
Noblesville was also granted one of 7 state wide Cultural Arts Districts and the only county in the state to have two such designations with Carmel and Noblesville by the Indiana Arts Commission. The Noblesville Arts Council will manage the designation and work with the city on common goals of expanding the features that gave the city its designation.
The Arts District offers a vision and a plan to coordinate with the Downtown Committee, the County/City last phase of the Downtown Riverwalk and the newest city park, Federal Hill Commons, just across the river from downtown.
It is all hands-on deck to complete the hard work of revitalization with new sidewalks, signage, landscaping, street lighting, resting places, a place to gather and providing a safe place to enjoy the Historic Downtown. With the new energy, investment (thanks citizens for pitching in the trash fee dollars), new designations, Main Street, Chamber of Commerce efforts and County and City working to bring the sparkle back to downtown – excitement is in the air.
Hopefully, spring will bring new landscaping to parking lots, new concrete and maybe some interesting street art just to get started including the completion of the Downtown Riverwalk in the summer and the opening of Federal Hill Commons in April.
By the way, the Court House square is a jewel that could bring new ideas and interest to the downtown. Beautiful seating areas, street art, lighting could add a great deal to the downtown during the day and at night.
There is no choice, the success of the Historic Downtown relates to the success of the entire community. It is often suggested that new business or a new resident visits the downtown before deciding on their future. That historic downtown feeling and that “Sense of Place” is what brings people to the most historic center of the county and keeps them here.
By giving up their “trash dollars” to “create a treasure” of a Historic Downtown – the credit goes to the tax paying citizens.
The city and county dedication to use the tax payer dollars to the fullest in order to make Noblesville the best it can be deserve encouragement to stay with the vision.
It will take years of hard work, sticking to the task and reaping the value of what has been lost by many – a thriving historic downtown for all to enjoy.