The architectural detail, the vintage signs, the brick-pavers lining narrow streetscapes: historic downtowns have good bones, but are so often unable to keep up with modern economic shifts on their own. At McKenna, we’ve always known that these treasured community assets deserve thoughtful, place-based strategies. This is perhaps best demonstrated by our award-winning Downtown Development and TIF Plan in the City of Adrian, which formed and supported the Downtown Area Citizens Council (DACC) and led engagement to turn input into a clear, phased 30-year project list to guide long-term TIF-based reinvestment citywide.

But even the best plan falls short if a community lacks the capacity to implement it. As cherished as these historic downtowns are, the implementation of downtown revitalization plans often lands on the desk of Planning and Zoning staff or even on the shoulders of business owners, who are already stretched too thin to take ownership. At McKenna, we think it takes dedicated, on-the-ground support to truly breathe new life into historic downtowns, and we’re constantly raising our hands to play this role.

One example of this in West Michigan includes our partnership with the Grandville Downtown Development Authority; For nearly a decade, we’ve worked with the community to revitalize Downtown Grandville by creating a Form Based Code for the downtown and its surroundings, working with the private sector to build new housing and other infill projects, and assisting with the design process for a road diet and associated pocket park.

Across the state, in 2019, McKenna created a Downtown Plan for the St. Johns Downtown Development Authority and Principal Shopping District, and has worked with the DDA/PSD to implement it in the years since. Key implementation steps include zoning amendments to speed up the approval of adaptive reuse and new housing, which have led to over 100 new housing units completed or under construction – including upper floors of historic “Main Street” buildings and within the former High School. McKenna also worked with the City and DDA/PSD to develop a resident permit parking system, which opened the door for reduced (and in some cases, eliminated) parking requirements for downtown developments.

And most recently, we’ve been testing this notion in our client community of Pickerington, Ohio.

McKenna is currently partnering with the City of Pickerington, a fast-growing Central Ohio community, on the revitalization of its historic downtown. Following our rewrite of Pickerington’s Zoning Code, we collaborated with the City to develop the Elevate District Downtown Strategy, which laid the groundwork for downtown improvements across placemaking, partnerships, mobility and marketing. The Strategy also included Brand Guidelines with custom colors, fonts, and logos to continue building visual cohesion and a sense of unity across the District.

Today, we provide part-time Downtown Coordinator services to Pickerington’s Elevate District to translate the Strategy’s goals and objectives into action. This cost-effective approach has helped Pickerington get the quick momentum it needed across community event planning, marketing, and placemaking, offering the flexible support of a qualified team of planners and designers, without needing to hire and train a full-time staff member.

To date, with just a few hours of support a week, McKenna has worked with the City to launch the Elevate District’s social media presence, establish a distinct identity through branded communications and Elevate District banners, and worked with the long-standing business association to host small-business centered community events, including Chalk the Walk – featuring live music and chalk art outside local shops – and the PickTown Pickle Fest, which offered pickle-themed treats, local vendors, and activities like the Great Pickle Hunt. Most recently, McKenna has helped to launch the Elevate District Business Passport, a promotional program which incentivizes community members to visit the District, explore local shops and attend community events to earn local rewards.

Our work in Pickerington, Grandville, and St. Johns – among countless other communities – demonstrates that re-energized business districts are within reach for communities of all sizes; across the Midwest, historic downtowns can be transformed into modern-day treasures with well-laid plans and small, passionate teams.