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traffic,we'll be able to keep more Get input from street-level contractor and to voice their con-
<br /> parking,"which she says merchants businesses cerns.
<br /> re interested in. Traffic calming bulb-outs at "Keep everybody informed and
<br /> "They understand how much get ideas from what the street-level
<br /> Y a half-dozen Central Avenue inter- g
<br /> easier it is for somebody to park sections were also implemented businesses want,"Madson advises
<br /> right in front of your store and as a result of talking to retailers, other downtowns planning street-
<br /> walk in," she says. and appear to have slowed traffic scapes.
<br /> Contact:Keli Quinn, Crossroads-La down as intended,Madson says. The BID is encouraging the
<br /> Grange Main Street Inc., (502)269- he Great Falls BID will continue handful of restaurants located at
<br /> 0126, kquinn @lagrangemainstreet.org. bulb-out intersections to place cafe
<br /> working closely with the city to
<br /> Angled or parallel parking, tinker with traffic light sequencing tables outside their corner establish-
<br /> or a combination? and slow traffic further,he adds, ments,Madson adds, as there's no
<br /> "so a motorist doesn't have a better downtown feature than peo-
<br /> A streetscape in the early ple. Flower pots and public art will
<br /> 1990s beautified the main street, straight shot through the greens.
<br /> All of this traffic calming also be placed on the bulb outs.
<br /> Central Avenue, of downtown With about 8,000 employees in
<br /> Great Falls, MT (pop. 56,690 , and parking enhancement work was
<br /> (p p. ) the downtown core and nice weath-
<br /> with brick pavers, trees, benches, p of a just completed, $800,000 er in season, "pedestrian life is fair-
<br /> and "period lighting" that harks project that was funded 75 percent ly active,"he says,but there's room
<br /> back to the early 1800s. Charming by the city and 25 percent by the for more.
<br /> amenities can go a long way, but BID.During the construction,the Contact:Gregory Madson, Great Falls
<br /> a number of retailers said that BID welcomed businesses to attend Business Improvement District, (406)727-
<br /> angled rather than parallel parking weekly meetings with the city and 5430,greg @downtowngreatfalls.com. •
<br /> would help bring more shoppers
<br /> to their stores. Insurance man sells downtown
<br /> Gregory Madson,director of the
<br /> —continued from page 1
<br /> al Falls Business Improvement
<br /> District, says he and the BID's mar- fit from an emergency helper point Area business is persuade•
<br /> keting director would meet once a of view in a practical sense," D'En- to expand
<br /> week for morning coffee and make tremont says. "MEDIC is a group Stacey Blacker, pro. •f
<br /> themselves available to downtown of four highly motivated and enthu- Red White & Brew, • e first
<br /> business people who wanted to talk siastic bell ringers for our commu- heard good thin: ount
<br /> shop. "Parking always seemed to be nity who also have some business Holly's revit. • and turn-
<br /> a topic of discussion,"he says. savvy and the personalities to get around fr• ding inspector
<br /> The BID undertook an in in front of people and present the frien. pected her first store
<br /> house survey of the businesses,he glass half full." in - . n Florence, NJ
<br /> "We reach out to [desirable] (pop.
<br /> says, and found"there was a really 22 minutes away.
<br /> strong interest in having angled businesses, and report back to the In particular, her interest in
<br /> parking and slowing traffic."The mayor once we think we've made ount Holly was piqued when her
<br /> contact with somebody that sho
<br /> traffic calming and parking over- potential,"he says. friend told her about a prominent
<br /> haul initiative was born. And D'Entremont is r local family who owns the down-
<br /> "We did a test block where we town Bridgetown Pub and Robin's
<br /> out to area entrepreneu e
<br /> had a combination of angled park- lime in the course o pork as Nest Restaurant, and is especially
<br /> ing and parallel parking, and the an insurance ma, supportive of female-owned busi-
<br /> public really favored it,"Madson In the ca - ed White nesses at its Mill Race Village
<br /> says. He devised a design to alter- &Brew, a -nd wine and enclave of arts and crafts shops.
<br /> nate angled parking on the north gourme shop opened in June, So Blacker was receptive to
<br /> and south sides of Central Avenue D'E. .nt didn't get the insur- the idea of opening shop in Mount
<br /> eery two blocks, with angled . - •e but he did manage to sell Holly when she was in the market
<br /> parking on the sides with the ner on expanding to down- for new insurance a year and a half
<br /> greater concentration of retailers. • n Mount Holly. later, and Rocky D'Entremont paid
<br /> 4 Downtown Idea Exchange • www.DowntownDevelopment.com August 1, 2004
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