Parsons Helps Create New Community with Lottery Dollars

Like many communities across the U.S., Parsons participated in urban renewal projects in the 1960s to help “save” its downtown. Instead, these efforts decimated the town’s architectural heritage, as many historic buildings were razed to create a pedestrian mall. Later, merchant-led efforts to revitalize the downtown experienced another setback when a tornado hit the district in 2000. Today, thanks in part to the Kansas Main Street program, Parsons has turned itself around. Since being designated a Main Street city in 2002, Parsons has created 27 new businesses, done 34 building renovations and completed a $3.4 million streetscape project.

“Parsons would not have gotten this far without Kansas Main Street and encouragement from the State,” said Jane Wilson, Manager of Downtown Parsons, Inc. “People are absolutely amazed at the transformation – everything downtown is so clean and beautiful.”

As a designated Main Street city, Parsons receives technical assistance from the Kansas Main Street staff in the National Main Street Center’s four-point approach to downtown revitalization: Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Restructuring. In addition, Parsons uses Incentives Without Walls funds from Kansas Main Street to provide low-interest loans to assist property owners with storefront and second-story renovation. Even with technical and financial support from the Kansas Main Street program, much of the credit for success rests with the numerous community volunteers who have given their time, expertise and enthusiasm to revitalize Parsons’ central business district. Their efforts were recognized recently when Parsons became one of only four Main Street communities in the country to receive the 2006 Great American Main Street Award. Remarkably, another Kansas Main Street city, Emporia, received the same honor in 2005.

“The State of Kansas is extremely proud of both of these cities,” said Jeanne Stinson, Kansas Main Street. “It has taken hours and hours of intense determination following the Main Street philosophy for these communities to earn this acclaim.”

There are currently 22 Main Street cities in Kansas. For more information on the Kansas Main Street program, contact the Department of Commerce at (785) 296-3481 or www.kansascommerce.com.