Ideas flowed like an open spigot Tuesday evening as a gathering of 120 or so of Iola’s greatest supporters brainstormed on how to sustain the downtown business district.
The occasion was a Downtown Iola Summit, hosted by Thrive Allen County.
The summit was prompted by the growing number of vacancies that have cropped up in the downtown business district.
As of last week, Iola has 29 vacant storefronts within a block of the courthouse square.
Five years ago, there was not a single vacancy around the square, noted David Toland, chief executive officer of Thrive Allen County.
Some of the vacancies occurred because the owners have retired, others have died or moved away, “and there were some business failures,” Toland said. “Those things happen.”
For comparison’s sake, there are 35 vacant storefronts in downtown Fort Scott, 42 in Chanute and 49 in Pittsburg. Columbus has 17 empties.
While Toland noted most of those communities are larger than Iola, “this shows that our challenges aren’t necessarily unique.”
Tuesday’s summit, essentially a two-hour brainstorming session, was in front of an overflowing crowd jammed into the Allen County Courthouse downstairs assembly room.
DESPITE the downtown vacancies, Iola still has 109 occupied storefronts in and around the square, most of which offer professional services (banks, for example), retail shops, insurance or law offices, non-profit venues, hair salons, restaurants or government offices.
Iola also has 850 housing units within a half mile of the square, allowing as many as 1,900 people to walk downtown at a moment’s notice.
Add in U.S. 54, and it gives a golden opportunity for groups or businesses to reach out to those riding the 5,000 or so vehicles each day through the heart of Iola’s downtown, Toland said.
Toland noted many in town don’t realize the strengths already in place, from the square’s distinctive Victorian architecture (“We’re used to it, but it is remarkable.”) to the cultural attractions, connections to recreational trails, and downtown’s designation as the largest town square in the country.
“We’ve got it on a billboard,” Toland said. “But how can we take advantage of it?”
Tuesday’s summit also brought in a bit of good news.
Toland announced Velo Plus, a bicycle shop based out of Lenexa, will open a shop at the old Sidelines sports bar in the 200 block of South Washington Avenue on April 29.
Toland credited the development of the Prairie Spirit, Southwind and Lehigh Portland trails in and around Iola, which draw in more out-of-towners than many realize.
“We’ve reached enough critical mass of trails and other amenities that it will bring three employees and an occupied storefront,” Toland said.
And in a related matter, Toland said Iola should hear any day now about whether a Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks grant application was successful. If so, a pedestrian bridge crossing Elm Creek along South Washington will be built, giving even greater access to the Lehigh Portland Trail.
WITH THOSE strengths lie other challenges, from under-utilized second floor areas, accessibility issues, outdated lighting and the lack of bike racks or public seating along the storefronts.
Many of the vacant stores are much too large for startup retail businesses, Toland said. One such solution is to have multiple businesses manning the same store, similar to flea markets, to share rent or utility costs.
“Somewhere along the way, we’ve gotten away from the shop local message,” he continued. “We want people to spend their dollars in Iola and Allen County.”
Perhaps one of the largest challenges facing downtown Iola is the community’s attitude about itself, particularly through social media.
Toland pointed to a Facebook posting by Thrive last week, in which follow-up comments derided the effort and Iola as a whole.
“We are dumping on ourselves as a community, and that makes it really hard to get to solutions,” Toland said.
“I want to be balanced here, because there were a number of positive messages,” he continued. “We’ve got both voices, but in this case, it doesn’t take many negative voices to sour the entire effort.”
Remaining positive in a negative situation isn’t being naive, he opined, it’s leadership.
AFTER Toland’s presentation, the audience was invited to share its thoughts and ideas.
Share, they did.
Virginia Macha suggested a phased approach to downtown streetscape improvements.
“Beautification is a process,” she said. “You can do it in phases, and you don’t have to go for the grandiose, but what you can afford, and still make it look good.”
Macha also suggested a comprehensive study to help determine what types of businesses are needed here, what they’d need to survive, and whether downtown could draw enough traffic to make those businesses a reality.
“That way somebody could go to the bank to get a loan,” she said. “If they have that information built in, it saves them a step, and it could be a ticket for people thinking about it.”
Larry Manes, meanwhile, suggested improving wifi access downtown. He noted the Moran Public Library does so, which prompts several computer users to remain downtown well past closing hours. (John Vogel of KwiKom Communications, a local internet service provider, said such a plan “was doable.”)
Barb Anderson, former Chamber of Commerce director now working with the Kansas Department of Commerce, noted Fredonia recently hired a retail coach, which will work with prospective business owners and other developers.
“There’s a price tag, $30,000, but it’s something we can watch,” she said.
SUCHY and others like Mitch and Sharon Bolling and Wayne Barnett spoke about re-establishing youth baseball, softball and basketball tournaments to draw out-of-towners.
Suchy also espoused simpler steps, such as continuing to place Iola and American flags downtown on a regular basis basis. Iola High School puts up the Iola flags when prominent events are scheduled that day. American flags are posted on such days as Independence Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
“People notice those things,” Suchy said. “I know of people who come in from out of town and said things about our flags.”
Toland agreed, noting Thrive asks those flags to be placed on days when physicians are brought to town on recruiting trips.
“It makes the community look good,” he said.
SEVERAL in the audience spoke out in favor of such amenities as a water park, fountain or other spray fixtures, downtown.
Bill Walden, one of the Iola Pharmacy owners, suggested a downtown welcome center with public restrooms. Currently, the closest thing to a public restroom is in the courthouse, which may be locked during some public events. A kiosk, in which coupon books were sold, could be redeemed at local businesses.
Gary McIntosh and Ryan Sparks both encouraged Iola to consider adding an electric car charging station.
“I think we’d be ahead of the curve” by adding one now, McIntosh said.
Larry Walden spoke about erecting statues on the courthouse grounds depicting the four presidents identified by the streets that line the square’s perimeter: George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson (projected cost, about $100,000). Walden also suggested adding four-sided clocks at one of the downtown intersections (cost, about $20,000).
“It’d be something to get people to come downtown and get out of their cars,” he said.
SPARKS noted the development opportunities still available downtown, by better utilizing the second floors of many of the buildings around the square. He and his father, Terry Sparks, have done just that, by renovating apartments and other extended stay venues, which can be rented through daily, weekly or monthly leases.
While such agreements are still in their infancy, Sparks said, the future looks promising. Perhaps others could do something similar.
“The best place to stay is on the square,” Sparks said. “It’s just going to take time. Nobody can do it on their own. The more we help each other, the better we’ll be.”
Lisa Wicoff pointed to Parsons, which has weekly public concerts as a model for Iola to follow by scheduling additional music events in addition to the weekly Municipal Band concerts in the summer.
Wicoff also spoke about bike share programs she’s seen in other communities.
“Our family can’t take six bikes in a car on vacation with us,” she said. Having bike shares in Iola would encourage people to be more active, and creating a different option for traveling around town.
Wicoff also wondered if more tournaments were scheduled at Riverside Park, it might entice the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce to host trolley rides from the park to the square, to get spectators downtown to shop.
JOEL WICOFF, Iola mayor, implored the audience to keep the positive momentum.
“There are nights like tonight, times when our sense of purpose and urgency make my mission (as mayor) very clear,” he said. “That mission is to begin to develop and execute a plan to guarantee that my grandchildren, your grandchildren and their grandchildren will have the same opportunities for life on the square that generations of Iolans have enjoyed.
“We may not be giants, but we are not the underdogs, either,” he continued. “We have solid businesses and business leaders in this room with solid records of success in small-town entrepreneurship,” he said.
Political points of view, which often shut down some community discussions, are irrelevant in this case, he said.
“We have a common goal that transcends politics, to maintain and grow Iola,” Wicoff said.
He also challenged all to approach downtown discussions with open minds.
Wicoff pointed to a quote from Kailash Satyarthi, India’s first ever Nobel Peace Prize winner.
“India is the land of 100 problems, but it’s the mother of 1 billion solutions,” Wicoff said. “There isn’t one solution or answer in this room; there are hundreds.”
FROM Tuesday’s summit, four groups were formed, to further examine:
— Marketing Iola better, by getting others to realize what’s available here, and what’s already occurring. Carol Sager, executive director of the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce, will oversee those discussions. Ad shares, social media, an events calendar and public display of some sorts were suggested.
— Looking at ways to create more downtown events, or to coordinate with events that already occur, such as Farm-City Days, the Charlie Melvin Mad Bomber Run or youth sport tournaments: “Things that will bring people to town for short durations,” Toland said. Debbie Suchy, owner of The Treasure Chest, will help coordinate those discussions.
— Creating a a fine arts district, in cooperation with the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. Tom Ellis, who suggested using the old Classy Attic store as a center for art projects, will lead those talks.
— Improving Iola’s downtown infrastructure, from its dilapidated sidewalks and alleys to such things as rebuilding U.S. 54 through downtown within the next few years, will be targeted.
Iola City Administrator Sid Fleming will head those talks.
Unlike marketing or discussing fine arts, which could have concrete plans within the next few weeks, Toland noted infrastructure improvements is a long-term project.
“This isn’t going to happen within 30 days, or even a year,” he said. “But you have to start somewhere.
“We have a lot of ideas,” Toland said. “The worst thing that could happen is if we get 100 people, and we throw out these ideas, and then nothing happens.”
