5.0. 6.0. 7.0. HRSR 02-23-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

A Downtown... Most likely, everyone either remembers or has heard one of their neighbors talk of Monticello's past and the way that its downtown was the focus of the • community. In 1997, downtown Monticello still exists, but some of its vitality — its "busy-ness" — has been lost. It is a sign of the times, maybe, as the pace of society changes; we trade our memories for convenience, variety, and more time for ourselves. We still see Monticello as a community though, with residents who believe in the small town qualities that it still possesses. But when we look for the center of this community, we find a downtown that no longer fulfills the town's need for a"heart and soul." Even today — or maybe especially today — small towns need to refresh their sense of community and rebuild the traditions that tie them to their place. Our common task must be to bring vitality back to downtown, rebuilding a strong sense of a Monticello community at the same time. It is not starting over— it is not"redevelopment." There may be elements that are so sorely dysfunction- al that their continued existence threatens the whole. But there are other ele- ments that contribute so much to the whole that their loss could never be over- come. We need to"revitalize" Monticello's downtown and riverfront,building on what works, what is good and what is cherished; we need to restore to it the qualities so essential to its life, and to the life of the community. itsL sM • t�Px'3• 1111 3. • dam a t i2+• rr3 ` Downtown Monticello,dra 1900. Wright County Historical Sodety Elements of a good downtown are still partly visible in Monticello. But we need to rub off those elements that no longer contribute in order to reveal the elements that reflect the true spirit and character of a vital community. Once that is accomplished, the text will tell the real story of this place. • - A New Bridge Revitalizing Monticello's Downtown and R1verfont ^"111 Page 1:1