Becky and I have been fortunate to help make many stories come to life through our Three-day Community Engagements, Core Group Boosts, correspondence from you, and visits to places. Here are just a few to look at.
Sheds Sheds Sheds
Tionesta, Pennsylvania, has had an empty lot for 10 years. One of the development board members had the idea to fill it with garden sheds. They now have 11 sheds doing business, including a barbeque place, an artist shop, a doll clothes maker, a winery’s second location, and more. They have been there for 10 years now!
Three young people from Miller, South Dakota, heard us speak at Rural X and really liked the Tionesta example. But how could they take a small step and try their ideas out? They worked with the local shed dealer to bring sheds downtown during December, and several different people tested their business ideas in the sheds. Two new businesses opened in town as a result of the pop-up sheds.
Kuna, Idaho, heard the shed stories too. They created student-built sheds that stayed open for several years and shared their story with us.
Did you say new businesses?
On Becky’s visit to Colfax, Washington, she helped them find an idea that turned into a shared retail space within a year. Now, there are new future-oriented murals and several new businesses.
I visited Paulding, Ohio, and surrounding small towns. 60 days after that visit, they had 6 new businesses in town. And just recently, they got a Taco Bell to come to town. This eating place was one thing the students told me they really wanted.
Akron, Iowa was an early three day Community Engagement for me. They have gone on to open 7 restaurants in town, and the camping location has grown to include cabins, a mini lake with activities, and spaces to park your RV. The bowling alley was reopened. The lumber yard was bought and renovated by a young couple. The housing lots in town are all sold and houses are going up. One family converted an old house into a new resort style accomodations. They saved their pool! And their list goes on and on.
Those darn empty buildings
Grundy Center, Iowa, worked with me to host a Main Street Iowa award-winning Tour of Empty Buildings.
Columbiana, Ohio, one of my visits, wrote to tell us they no longer have any empty buildings downtown! Not to mention, Readers Digest voted it the friendliest city in the U.S. after I came to town.
One of our favorite stories is the shared spaces idea in an old department store in Washington, Iowa. A group of women got together and had the idea to split up that big space into still one store but filled with all kinds of little businesses. One wall is a bookstore, and one small table has jewelry for sale, and there are other businesses, too. Several of the businesses there have moved on to their own building in town!
Art is economic development
Sayre, Pennsylvania, reads our newsletter and was inspired by one of them to create art shows, pop-up events, murals, and live music. Over the past two years, many people have attended and enjoyed the changes in town.
The Phoenix District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, tested out food truck projects and Better Block work. Inspired by our Idea Friendly Method and connections between Becky and Cheryl Lawton, they took small steps.
Jackson County, Kentucky, was waiting for permission to try their ideas out! They talked about their ideas at a gathering while I was there and I gave them that permission. (They didn’t really need it.) They held a pop-up craft fair on an empty lot during a car show. Their artists in town worked with students to create an oversized mural tour featuring students’ work. Backroads of Appalachia are bringing many different car races to the community. These guys are on fire!
These are a few of Idea Friendly examples that these communities started from a big idea. Do want want some help with your small town? Our focus this year is Helping You Along the Way. Let’s talk! Email deb@saveyour.town and we can carve out a fifteen minutes for a phone call to see if this is something you might want – bringing us to your town!
