GARY SEWELL/HERALD DEMOCRAT
Denison Mayor Pro Tem Michael Baecht talks on Tuesday about improvements and investments that have been made in downtown Denison over the past several months.
GARY SEWELL / HERALD DEMOCRAT
Denison Development Foundation Chairman Eric Batey, left, speaks Tuesday about the grants DDF has award to downtown business that have helped spur $120,000 in total downtown investment over the past six months. Denison Mayor Pro Tem Michael Baecht, right, talks on Tuesday about improvements and investments that have been made in downtown Denison over the past several months.
After several years of deep impacts from a weak economy, downtown Denison has a bright future ahead of it, said city officials at a press conference on Tuesday.
City and community leaders spoke from the stage of the newly-renovated Rialto Theater, which will open to a sold-out showing of “Dirty Dancing” on Valentine’s Day.
“It’s great to see Denison start out 2012 with a great new venue opening up in downtown,” said Denison Mayor Pro Tem Michael Baecht. “It’s been a tough couple of years for downtown and for the economy in Grayson County and the U.S. as a whole, so it’s great to see a new spark starting up for downtown Denison.”
Denison Main Street Director Donna Dow said the past several months have been a time of growth and investment for downtown. She said 30 new businesses have opened in downtown in the past 15 months, adding that the downtown now has an 80 percent occupancy rate.
“The downtown is the heart of the community,” Baecht said. “With Denison, it’s pride of ownership. Being proud that you’re part of the community.”
Baecht said that is part of the reason it’s important for Denison to continue to invest in downtown. That investment has come from the Denison Development Foundation, which has offered matching grants to downtown businesses for facade improvements.
“As the DDF chairman, we’re committed to the economic development of downtown Denison,” said DDF Chairman Eric Batey.
Dow said $120,000 in private and grant funds has been invested in downtown improvements in the past six months and 30 projects have been completed or are nearly completed.
Dow said all the work and investment “is basically so we can get people walking on our streets, into our businesses.”
Baecht explained the importance of downtown improvements by pointing out that the success of each downtown business is tied to the success of its neighbors, because traffic plays such a key role in retail businesses. He also said that the successfulness of downtown plays an important role in the success of other Denison businesses, since visitors traveling to downtown will be exposed to other Denison businesses.
“I just look forward to seeing the success that we’re seeing continue through the year.” Baecht said.
