Incremental steps make large strides in downtown area

July 16, 2008

Opinion

TWO RECENT initiatives of the Historic Quincy Business District speak well of the organization and of downtown merchants.

Last week, 24 businesses became the first to receive the Downtown Exceptional Service Award.

"The customer can expect exceptional service, knowledgeable staff on the products and services offered, and business signs that are legible and professional," Sue Schwartz, a member of the HQBD marketing committee, said.

HQBD volunteers, with help from Quincy Preserves, also spent Saturday painting and cleaning storefront facades in the 600 and 700 blocks of Maine Street, and taking other steps to improve the appearance of that area.

In May, workers provided by Bret Austin of the Austin Group and Austin Properties worked with Jeff Morris, owner of Why Not Bedrooms, Sunrooms, Pools and Spas at 615 Maine, to paint the front of that building.

The award program and spruce-up efforts were suggested in a three-year strategic plan adopted earlier this year by the HQBD.

"One of the things that came out of all those planning meetings was that it was obvious that little, incremental things could pay a big dividend," Austin said. "It starts momentum."

On a larger scale, the $2 million Maine Street improvement project scheduled for completion in November certainly will add to that momentum.

Maine Street will be resurfaced from Fourth to Tenth, historic street lights will be installed and power lines buried, all trees will be replaced, new traffic lights will be installed, jut-outs will be removed, new curb ramps will be installed and brick pavers will be added along sidewalks.

The state and federal governments are paying for most of the cost, with the city's share pegged at $370,092.

That project couldn't be occurring at a more opportune time, as Quincy welcomes an influx of visitors expected with the observance of the sesquicentennial of the Lincoln-Douglas debates this year and the 200th anniversary of the birth of the 16th president in 2009.

Major improvements under way at Washington Park in connection with those observances will further enhance the appeal of the downtown area.

That is not to say the outlook for downtown is unblemished. Too many stores, particularly along Maine Street, remain vacant. Additionally, an upscale restaurant has closed and a major women's clothing store has announced similar plans. Yet, new stores -- a bookstore and several restaurants -- have opened.

Such is the cycle of any retail area.

Major investments planned or occurring downtown -- riverfront condominiums, the new Health Department building and the Kroc Center -- suggest long-term stability and growth for the city's central core.

Those large-scale projects will attract a great deal of attention and have a significant impact.

It cannot be forgotten, however, that incremental measures such as the HQBD award program and beautification efforts are critically important.

Those efforts, maintained over time, will make all the difference in sustaining the downtown area as a vibrant environment in which to work, shop and live.