Putting the Habit into Downtown

“We are trying to put “the habit” into our downtown. We want people to think of coming here all of the time, not just for special events.” Brett Peach, head of the Cambridge, OH (population 11,520) Main Street Program told me of their approach to helping to keep the downtown booming. He is implementing a farmers market and plans to roll out a Dickens Victorian Village for this upcoming Christmas Season.

“We are going to put up 37 life-sized vignettes along our Main Street at the historic light poles. We are getting sponsorships from local businesses and will have local artists decorate them. There is quite a bit of excitement about the project. We’ve already got 5 tour buses that are coming thru because of it.”

The Cambridge downtown is one of the few that I see that doesn’t have a lot of “missing teeth” in it, where buildings have been torn down, leaving gapping holes. Many downtowns lose their entire feel as a result. Cambridge is fortunate to have most of its “teeth” intact.

Mayor Sam Salupo and Brett Peach have helped to put together a special $3 million loan program with five local banks. Steve Wilson, a dynamic local entrepreneur, has put together several groups of local investors to buy and redo downtown buildings. Plans are in the works to redo the old Hotel Berwick, which has fallen into a state of disrepair. The hotel is on one end of the downtown and will be a marvelous billboard for a wonderful downtown.

I love finding downtowns like Cambridge’s. They’re finding ways to fully utilize one of the most precious assets they possess.