By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Ortonville — In the spring of 2020 a global pandemic was declared due to COVID-19. While the health of millions was impacted, the economy on a variety of levels was also shaken. At the core, businesses were rocked as supply chains were altered, consumers were often jarred from visiting traditional brick and mortar establishments, and demand spiked for many products.
The reverberations of the pandemic could be felt in businesses and Ortonville was no exception.
This week’s segment examines the years 2020 to present and is the final chapter 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.
“The DDA events were cancelled due to the pandemic,” said Matt Jenkins, who had stepped in as the Ortonville DDA Executive Director in August 2016. “For 2020 and most of 2021 there was only one DDA event, the Farmers Market. You still had to social distance but outdoor activities were safer. We took it on the chin when Fourth of July fireworks were canceled, no Witches Night Out, and no Christmas in the Village.”
Due to the pandemic, the Ortonville DDA/Main Street shifted into response and planning for recovery, he said. The challenge was how to prepare the businesses, care for the public and then pivot to recovery mode when it was all clear.
Toward the end of 2020 into 2021 the Ortonville DDA was working through the technical assistance offered through Main Street America and Main Street Oakland County. Part of the framing for the assistance was an Ortonville DDA survey of residents and consumers.
“The Main Street analysis was that shopping habits definitely changed as a result of the pandemic,” said Jenkins. “Whether they wanted to admit it or not. From a planning effort Main Street would create a dashboard of projects coming out of the pandemic.”
Spearheading that effort was Matthew Wagner, Ph.D., chief innovation officer Main Street America, Chicago.  In this role, he is responsible for leading the Innovation Team, focused on internal and external research, new business support, and piloting, testing, and launching new ideas, tools, and technologies. Wagner works with about 1,200 Main Street communities nationwide.
“Anytime there is a crisis situation such as the pandemic, people turn to a group of people to build confidence to recover,” said Wagner, during an interview with The Citizen. “There was a lot of shock, and concern about the viability of many downtown’s nationwide including Ortonville. You need a plan and strategy to build confidence.”
Wagner said that Ortonville was one of the first to position their Main Street programs to create a rally point to make a recovery. That rally was done in a way that was strategic, recognizing what was going to work for an effective recovery.
“Fundamentally they recognized the need to assess, build confidence and finally execute,” he said.
An example of the strategy utilized included curbside pickup or dining while maintaining social distancing.
“You had low supply and high demand,” he said. “People were getting checks in the mail and they wanted to spend. Then supply chains were catching up and higher prices along with the labor crisis arose.”
The most profound takeaway from the pandemic is the profound appreciation of consumers around the small business in their community, said Wagner.
“There was a lot of dialogue regarding the demise of the ‘bricks’ businesses,” he said.
In the span of time April-May 2020 e-commerce grew at the same rate as it took the previous ten years to accomplish.
“What we realized is when businesses were closed you gained a better appreciation for how important those businesses are to the consumer’s way of life,” he said. “It’s where communities come together, where you know the owner, it’s not just transactional. When you’re in physical spaces (like a store) it’s an experience.”
People missed those experiences most when it was closed due to the pandemic, he said.
“There’s value in place,” he said. “A need to feel connected.”
Finally, volunteerism during the pandemic where Zoom meetings were the norm created some shifting acceptability.
“Having some things online enables others to participate,” he said. “It expanded the potential to get involved. We also learned a younger cohorts may volunteer differently, they don’t need to come to a meeting to accomplish a task.”
As changes in volunteerism and shopping shifted due to the pandemic area local businesses primarily remained strong due to the support of the Main Street response and recovery program. Through millions of dollars in funding and programs, Main Street remains today a vibrant part of Ortonville.