By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Ortonville — Main Street Ortonville was ready for a change.
This week’s segment is the third in a series provided by The Citizen newspaper that covers the progression of the Ortonville Downtown Development Authority and the affiliation with Main Street America and Main Street Oakland County. Two decades of history since its inception locally in 2004 and the Main Street approach is as valuable today as it was 20 years ago.
About 2016, Main Street as a whole nationwide began going through a realignment and was shifting direction after more than a decade of growth. Ortonville Main Street was no exception.
John Bry, is a Certified Main Street Manager, Program Coordinator Main Street Oakland County Program and Principal Planner, reflected on the program transition.
“A lot of Main Street programs had fallen into the role of just doing events,” said Bry, who has been active with the Main Street program for more than 25 years. “Many Main Street organizers had been given the title of just ‘party or event planners.’ Communities across the county were not recognizing Main Street as predominantly an economic tool or entity which is what they are first and primary.”
Bry said the concern was that events take a lot of time, resources and energy without a strategy of what the outcome was supposed to accomplish.
“Main Street is rooted in ‘place-based economics’ which includes the historic preservation where it was founded more than 45 years ago,” he said. “So about eight years ago Ortonville, like other communities nationwide refreshed and looked at the strategy with the question ‘what they were doing?’”
In August 2016 Matt Jenkins, stepped in as the DDA Executive Director. In addition, several leadership and staff changes allowed the DDA Board to lean in on a new direction for the organization. Through strategic discussions, community listening and planning, the decision has been made to move away from large-scale event planning and shift our focus to the new Main Street America’s Refresh Approach.
“There are an overwhelming number of choices of projects, initiatives and events that the DDA board can choose to commit resources, time and energy to, “ said Jenkins. “If our priorities are not clearly defined, the actions of the organization may not be consistent with our vision for the future, what the businesses need or what the community is asking for.”
The changes shifted efforts for Main Street in Ortonville along with other communities nationwide which focused time and resources in other efforts that make more sense for the community.
Bry recognized the shift.
“Since that time in about 2016, communities are now in a stronger position for funding, partnerships and volunteers,” he said. “No two communities will be alike, but they use the Main Street approach to implement that strategy.”
Some of the focuses are universal, such as e-commerce other opportunities were more local, he said.
“In Ortonville businesses have funding through the county Main Street program to support your local initiatives to build that up at no cost,” he said. “It’s an economic need for the community and tap into those opportunities.”
Other events such as a Farmers Market is an example of a strategy to draw foot traffic downtown.
“It’s a very universal need in a lot of downtown’s nationwide and Ortonville continues to create foot traffic through the market,”said Bye.
Ortonville also utilized the proximity to natural recreational features such as Groveland Oaks in Groveland Township.
“It’s an ongoing process and that takes time to manifest,” he said. “Main Street is largely based on incrementalism along with partnerships. The market is always shifting and changing, Main Street projects need to look up every three or four years and decide if this is the right direction.”
In the years Bry has worked with Ortonville’s Main Street project he recognizes a greater interest and support from the local leadership.
“That support at the top is absolutely key in any Main Street effort across the county,” he said. “You can tell the successful communities when the support is there. It’s very deep, connected and they understand where Main Street is going in Ortonville.”
Bye added, that in Ortonville the community has become very engaged in the Main Street program and the Downtown Development Area.
“It’s all about partnerships and leveraging resources,” he said. “I’ve seen this awakening in Ortonville, where there are more volunteers in the Main Street program than what I’ve seen in the last eight years. When we hear from other communities in Oakland County asking how to attract more volunteers, we often point to Ortonville as an example.”