Monday, December 7, 2009

DREAM Initiative to open doors for community

If you haven’t already made plans for this morning, Saturday, Dec. 5, I encourage you to attend the Rolla Christmas Parade which begins at 10 a.m. on Pine Street in downtown Rolla. But don’t just plan to attend the Christmas parade, because directly after is the 15th Annual Christmas at the Historic Old Courthouse from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.It too is a must attend event that is sure to get you in the holiday spirit.

Many activities will be held on Saturday in Rolla’s historic downtown area, which was the topic of discussion at the recent DREAM (Downtown Revitalization Economic Assistance Missouri) Initiative Initial Assessment meeting held Monday, Nov. 30 in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The day-long meeting, which was facilitated by Russell Volmert, Associate Director of Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets, Inc. (PGAV), a prominent urban consulting company based out of St. Louis and John Petersen, the City’s Director of Community Development, and members of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Members of the Missouri Development Finance Board and Missouri Housing Development Commission were also among the DREAM Team who provided assistance throughout the meeting.

The meeting, which was open to the public, was attended by numerous area leaders, including State Representative Dan Brown, 149th District, Rolla downtown business owners, merchants, members of the Rolla Downtown Business Association, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce, Rolla Regional Economic Commission, Phelps County Historical Society, Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), and the City of Rolla’s Community Development, Public Works and Administration Departments.

The City of Rolla was one of only 5 communities in the state of Missouri inducted as members of the 2009 DREAM Initiative, and I was honored to be presented that day by the State/PGAV DREAM team members with a framed certificate signed by Governor Jay Nixon designating Rolla as an official 2009 DREAM Initiative inductee. The entire Rolla community, including all of our downtown merchants, business owners, and especially the members of Rolla’s Downtown Merchants Association, MRPC, and Engineering Management Graduate students at Missouri S&T should be especially proud of this designation and what it means to the future of Rolla’s downtown area, Missouri S&T and our community as a whole.

The DREAM Initiative will consist of a three-year planning program which will result in a 5 - to 10-year vision to enhance and revitalize downtown Rolla. This will be accomplished by providing technical planning assistance by PGAV and the Missouri Department of Economic Development that will culminate in a downtown strategic plan.

One of the main goals of the DREAM initiative is to make Rolla a destination City not only in Missouri, but the Midwest – a town that is vibrant, friendly, attractive and is a safe destination that is known for its diversity and unique character. Another important goal is to unite the Missouri S&T campus with Rolla’s downtown, and to work collaboratively with the University to rejuvenate the downtown area. Fortunately the City already enjoys a strong town and gown relationship with Missouri S&T, and I can only see it getting stronger through the DREAM Initiative and other partnership opportunities that are in the wings.

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