Consultants Have High Hopes for Downtown Ironwood
IRONWOOD, MI - Thursday, May 14, 2009
Michigan communities participating in the program to date include: (2003) - Adrian, Battle Creek, Brighton, Buchanan, Cheboygan, Davison, Grand Haven, Jonesville, Middleville, Mt. Pleasant, and Norway; (2004) - Charlotte, Fremont, Highland Park, Houghton, Howard City, Imlay City, Ionia, Linden, Menominee, Saline, and Wayland; (2005) - Big Rapids, East Tawas, Grass Lake, Iron River, Romeo, Utica, Vassar, and Whitehall; (2006) - Charlevoix, Muskegon Heights, Oscoda, Petosky, and Tecumseh; (2007) - Caro, Clio, and Ypsilanti.
Ironwood was one of six Michigan communities that were selected in 2008. Others chosen this year were: Gladwin, Hartford, Hillsdale, New Baltimore, and Sparta.
Those communities selected for the Blueprint program receive a grant for 50% of the Blueprint fee. The specialized Technical Assistance and Revitalization Strategy (STARS) Team of MSHDA manages the program. The MML was the organization that originally introduced the program to the State. HyettPalma is the consulting firm that has been selected for the program, working directly with each community to define its Downtown Blueprint.
Doyle Hyett presented Ironwood’s Downtown Blueprint to the community Tuesday evening at the Gogebic Community College, Conference Room B-21, Ironwood Township. To view the entire Blueprint document [CLICK HERE].
"I know there’s a soft spot in Lansing for the U.P. in general. Just to watch the people here in the community with us, the people that actually provide the money to implement these Blueprints, they’re very impressed with this community and I know that you should count on them. You should call on them. You should hammer them every chance you get to bring more of that State money up here!" Hyett told the forty-seven people attending Tuesday night’s meeting.
"The Blueprint is not the end-all. It’s the start," Hyett said, "It’s the beginning. If you were to consider it the bones sort of speak. We don’t want you to take anything away from it but we know over time what happens – as you have successes, and as you gain experience with this, you’ll add things to the plate. There’s no doubt about that."
Hyett told the crowd that being the forty-fourth city in the State to participate in the program is a good thing. He said things have been learned through the mistakes of others. He said many times people have ideas that sound good in theory, but in practice they fail miserably.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES
One-Way Streets - According to Hyett, one-way streets should not be created in the City’s Downtown if at all possible. He went on to say that people love their cars and most people won’t shop in locations that are too difficult to get to or if they have to park too far away from where they will be shopping. He explained that most communities that attempted one-way streets failed, and most of the streets have returned to two-way streets. For those of us that have lived here their entire lives, you will remember Ironwood tried this years back.
Pedestrian Malls - Blocking off streets to cars is the "death of retail businesses" according to Hyett. Generally speaking, "You can’t separate an American from his car, in a downtown setting!" Hyett told the audience that only in a few exceptions – mainly college towns – do pedestrian malls work. This was another failed idea Ironwood once tried. Streets were blocked off by huge "planters."
Public Restrooms - HyettPalma heard the complaints that there were no public restrooms. He warned that public restrooms are generally a nightmare. They are extremely costly to maintain; they are havens for misfits and criminals; and they need to be constantly supervised to ensure public safety. He recommended that local business owners be encouraged to welcome people to use their restrooms. He pointed out that many travelers are "guilted" into buying something when they use business facilities. He didn’t say this was a bad practice, but he suggested that it be done in a way that doesn’t make the customer outwardly feel guilty for using the businesses facilities.
Hyett complimented Ironwood in their efforts to draw people from surround areas as shoppers, but he warned that the backbone of any business is generally local (meaning in this case, Ironwood) supported. He said it’s most important to focus efforts on local business and make that as good as it can be – then branch out.
Hyett explained that the Blueprint may seem to echo efforts by organizations, but he urged the community to start working "as one" and pointed out that everybody needs to get behind one plan and following. Several groups working for different things are rarely as successful as one collective group working for a common cause.
According to Hyett the community has a lot of bright people, and he recognized that there are people within the community that have tried unsuccessfully to get their ideas put into practice. He said having good ideas is only part of the equation. The Blueprint is a collection of good ideas, and it will work only if people are willing to follow it. He said many of the ideas presented in the Blueprint are the very same ideas that were in the 1981 and 1991 plans that collect dust on the Community Developer’s desk. He said no plan will be successful without dedicated action.
"So it’s time now to stop debating the issues and stop questioning what’s appropriate but to take the needed actions that we all recognize, and most importantly that you have recognized that need to be done!" Hyett warned.
"If we had any concern throughout this whole process and project," Hyett said, "And we always do in a community, is ‘Why didn’t you implement it in 1981?’ ‘Why didn’t you implement it in 1991?’ I don’t know if those answers will ever come out, nor that should they – we shouldn’t look back."
Hyett explained that this time around, being part of a State-wide program, other people will be paying attention to what the City is doing.
One thing Hyett pointed out was that efforts (even minor ones) show investors that the City is serious about making a better business district. Few investors, including the State are willing to funnel money into a community that makes no effort to improve itself.
Referring to Ironwood’s Downtown, Hyett used an old Texas expression, "You got more hat than you got cattle!" He said that he can tell, by looking at the structure of the Downtown that it was once a thriving business district. Without knowing anything about the area, clues lead him to understand that Ironwood was once bustling, but has now fallen asleep.
Hyett recommends that the City focus on a center "core" area at first. He used the example of the ripple effect created when a pebble is thrown into calm water. He said the accomplishments of the center of the project will inspire other accomplishments and improvements. He suggested that the first area of concentration be Aurora Street from Lawrence Street to Norfolk and Suffolk Street from Frederick Street to McLeod Avenue. He said that this area was particularly appropriate because it contains the vast majority of business space in the Downtown and it also includes the Post Office, the Library, the Historic Ironwood Theatre and Depot Park.
Hyett said impulse orientated businesses on the ground floor would be very appropriate, and he recommended the possibility of returning to upper floor offices as well as improvements to loft apartment spaces in the area.
"We need to create a visible mass of quality improvements in a very short period of time." Hyett suggested, "We’d be rockin’ and rollin’ if we could make that happen in a short period of time!"
To start the process, Hyett recommends that the Aurora Street block between Suffolk and Lowell be the initial focus. He said making notable changes in this short block will quiet any naysayers or people who question the feasibility of any revitalization attempts Downtown. Hyett used Lansing as an example when he described how infectious improvements can be.
Hyett explained that improvements to the Downtown will lead to improvements throughout the community. Surrounding neighborhoods will want to improve their properties; businesses outside of the downtown district will want the same kind of attention the downtown has received, and eventually, the entire community regains a sense of pride and a belief that success can be obtained even with the current economic climate.
Hyett continued to list improvements that needed to be made. Since they are listed in detail in the Blueprint plan, we recommend that you find the link above and see them for yourself. One thing he did say was that "flowers were a cheap fix." He said that virtually any space can be improved with flowers. He was very complimentary of the City’s Pocket Park and he suggested that much more of that type of thing be incorporated into the City’s overall scheme.
Traditional year-round black benches and trash receptacles were improvements that Hyett strongly recommended. He explained that he was a huge fan of Stormy Kromers and when he, his business partner, and the State officials from MSHDA were here last time, he insisted on a tour of Jacquart’s Stormy Kromer operation. He told the crowd that Jacquart’s has a huge new banner-making machine and he suggested that the City "embarrass, shame or beg" Jacquarts to make custom banners for the downtown. He recognized the company was successful and that they were very community involved. He said he was sure that they would welcome any attempts to assist the City and he said they could do much to help rebuild the Downtown’s image.
He agreed that linking Hurley and Ironwood was a good idea, but he cautioned that duplicating their efforts would not be a good thing. He suggested having a distinctly different look that complimented their theme.
Hyett realized that there have been lighting problems within the downtown. He pointed out that there appeared to be a problem with synchronizing the operation of the lights with the need for light. He strongly recommended that the City go through the system to make certain that the lights go on when they are supposed to and go off when they should. He said it sounds like a simple thing, but evidently it isn’t.
Hyett then addressed the problems the City has with litter. He said, "We need to retain, as well as strengthen the image the downtown has as a ‘family orientated’ area! And litter really causes problems, even from a public safety perspective. So what we would suggest that you do to accommodate this particular need of litter control is that – if the City provides year-round trash receptacles that’s going to help an awful lot. We think, too, it would be helpful if you would use the DIDA summer part-time maintenance person to pick up litter." He went on to say that it is important for downtown merchants to do they part by sweeping off their sidewalks like they used to do and pick up trash that wanders over to their property as well.
Hyett praised the City for installing wayfinder signs. He explained that wayfinder signs are meant to be tools that would guide an "absolute idiot" through a community. He explained the concept of the signs was to flood the City streets with them, to let people coming into the community for the first time know where key features of the City can be found. He criticized the fact that the signs are not visible outside of the downtown district, and he suggested that they begin along US-2 to let the traveler know that US-2 is not the City’s downtown. He said it’s important for the signs to be uniform in appearance as drivers that see one sign will automatically look for a similar sign along the way.
He said that work needs to be done to clean up the main corridor into the downtown. He said blight needs to be addressed and that the streets, sidewalks, homes, businesses, signs, etc. need to be pleasing to the eye to make the downtown look inviting. He said existing code enforcement needs to be stepped up. He suggested that the City take a more active roll in blight control and that they don’t use strong hand tactics. He said offering businesses assistance is the best way to improve conditions within the City. Cracking down on ordinances is not as effective as offering a helping hand.
Hyett continued by exploring the many aspects of downtown improvement. He addressed housing in the downtown district; market driven hours that accommodate customers instead of business hours that accommodate business owners; he encouraged business recruitment and offered ideas for retainment. His outlook for the City of Ironwood was generally good. He has faith in the town, and he believes – with a little hard work, and concentrated, unified effort – the City cannot only survive, but it can thrive.
EDITOR’S COMMENT: I strongly recommend that all interested persons download the .pdf file of Ironwood’s Blueprints Program. If Ironwood – and not just the downtown – is going to survive, it is going to take a real effort by everybody in the community to make things better here. As Steve Frank has pointed out, we have a very serious problem – not only with littering – but out-and-out dumping on public and private property. How many of us welcome visitors when our house is a mess? We need to start taking pride in our community and we need to start making efforts to eliminate dumping and the discard of waste where ever it is most convenient and free. How many tourists would continue to visit some of our country’s most popular landmarks if they were covered with litter and turned into neighborhood dumpsites?
I am one of the people who initially opposed the City’s involvement in the Blueprint Process. It’s not that I am a naysayer or a negative thinker – it’s just that the City of Ironwood has a history of refusing to listen to people when they have ideas and options to improve the community. Many of the things that HyettPalma has suggested in their Blueprint Plan have been presented by area citizens; discussed by various City boards, authorities and committees; debated by concerned citizens and others in workshops and public hearings; only to be immediately dismissed by our City Commission and "the powers that be."
Apparently, it takes an outside voice to repeat these ideas before the City will give them any value or pay any attention to them. If HyettPalma is able to do that – hiring them is well worth the investment. Additionally, it has become apparent that the State heavily favors communities that participate in this type of program. If more money can be garnered from the State as a result of HyettPalma’s efforts, it was money well spent.
In order for Ironwood to prosper, everybody in this community needs to take an active roll. When ideas are systematically and categorically dismissed without any rhyme or reason, people need to start standing up and they need to start screaming from the mountaintops. The City can no longer tolerate a City Commission controlled by people who put up stumbling blocks to improvements because they don’t fit their own personal agendas. Our City Commission recently reminded us that people need to compromise and share with one another. I think this is a lesson that needs to be learned in City government as well.
Jim Albert
