By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Ortonville — It begins with local residents sharing a vision for their community. At the core is a small-town experience the visual and economic center of Ortonville surrounded by Brandon and Groveland townships.
At the heart is Main Street, the focus of an All-American, authentic village that remains a hub of activity for 175 years.
Over the next month, The Citizen newspaper along with the Ortonville DDA will take a look at the affiliation with Main Street America and Main Street Oakland County. Two decades of history since its inception locally in 2004 and why the Main Street Approach is as valuable today as it was 20 years ago.
“Main Street is a movement, centered on having a positive impact on the local quality of life for residents and visitors,” said Matt Jenkins, executive director of the Ortonville Downtown Development Authority. “It is a commitment to inspiring our community to collectively reimagine and reinvent our Downtown while preserving its culture.”
The Main Street America designation provides communities, like Ortonville, the unique opportunity through local and national assistance to restore economic health to the downtown.  That opportunity was recognized more than two decades ago.
About 2004 Paul Zelenak was the Ortonville Village Manager and recognized the benefits of the designation while working in Rochester Hills a few years earlier.
“I realized the Main Street could happen in Ortonville,” said Zelenak, now the South Lyon City Manager. “We invited Main Street Oakland County to host a meeting at the town hall and the public was really excited about the possibilities.”
There was a big application process and many volunteers were needed, recalled Zelenak.
“Many people stepped up to participate,” he said. “Main Street became a tool in the tool box that worked for many communities.”
The Main Street Four-Point Approach is based on historic preservation, economic development, along with many programs gleaned from across the county. Main Street focuses on design, to assure Ortonville preserves its natural and historic heritage, economic restructuring, enhances the business environment, promotions to generate an awareness of and excitement for the Downtown, providing a means to keep people coming back and organization to involve everyone and create sustainability.
Soon after the designation Julie Courtney was named Ortonville’s first Main Street manager in 2005. At that time, Ortonville was one of only 10 communities in Oakland County who had the Main Street designation.
In the spring of 2005, Nick Kalogeresis, program officer of the National Trust Main Street Center came from Chicago to Ortonville along with Bob Donohue, Main Street Oakland County coordinator and principal planner. The pair conducted the needs assessments which included signage on M-15; road improvements; building improvements; facade and sign grants and event promotions.
Bob McArthur, a longtime village resident, volunteered for the DDA and served as president when the Main Street designation was proposed in 2004.
“It was going to provide an opportunity for the downtown,” said McArthur. “About that same time there was major streetscaping with signage and trees downtown.”
Funds from the Community Development Block Grants provided much of those funds.
“Give credit to the DDA for the Main Street project, I’d hate to think what the village would look like without their efforts,” he said.
From community engagement surveys to new Downtown amenities, the work of the 4-Points is visible to the community. Similarly, the positive changes occurring on Main Street can be quantified by new jobs added, new businesses open, public and private investments, parks redeveloped or new one built, volunteer hours, financial support raised and other matrixes of success.
Like other communities, the village downtown continues to face many challenges, added McArthur.
“Today the village has to compete with the big ‘box stores,’” he said. “Thanks to projects like Main Street the downtown is active and is pleasing to visit.”
Once established keeping a strong base of volunteers and business owners is needed to move forward.
DDA Director Jenkins looks to continue the strong community ties.
“It’s creating a resilient business environment through place-based economic development, and it’s strengthening the connection between people and their community.”
Building that business climate requires a strong community commitment. Key in the Main Street designation is stringent rectification.
The 10 criteria used to evaluate progress in Main Street communities are broad-based community support; vision and mission statements; historic preservation ethic; paid, professional DDA/Main Street Program Director; program of ongoing training; reporting of key statistics; Main Street Network membership; comprehensive work plan; active board and committees and adequate operating budget.
In the fall of 2007 Molly LaLone stepped in as the new DDA Executive Director and Main Street Manager. Despite some bumps in the road, LaLone’s leadership proved just the key to Main Street’s continued success.
Over the next months, The Citizen newspaper along with Ortonville DDA will take a look at the affiliation with Main Street America and Main Street Oakland County.