By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
For more than a century, the ornate buildings bringing business to the region have dotted Bowling Green’s downtown.
Community leaders are united in their commitment to saving those grand structures – but the pathway to preservation is different depending on perspective.
Maintaining those historic buildings isn’t easy or cheap – and adding another layer of red tape will not help the effort, according to Hallie Williams, executive director of Downtown BG.
The Bowling Green Historic Preservation Commission asked Williams to come to a recent meeting to discuss how the two organizations can work together for the betterment of the downtown. Turns out there are a lot of ways the two organizations can partner – but declaring the area a Downtown Historic District may not be one of them.
John Sampen, chairman of the HPC, said one goal of the group is to work on the historic designation.
“We know there will be some resistance from some of the downtown business owners,” Sampen said.
“That’s going to be a hard pull,” Williams responded. “I imagine that will be quite a challenge if that’s something you guys want to pursue.”
The downtown property owners and the business owners are already committed to preserving the beauty and strength of the structures that line Main Street, Williams said.
If placed in a local historic district, the HPC would need to be consulted on some modifications to the buildings, HPC member Geoff Howes said.
“Our business owners and our property owners are going to want to maintain the flexibility of improving their buildings accordingly,” Williams said.
However, Williams acknowledged that the owners could benefit from assistance with building exterior improvements.
“I think we do need to encourage and support facade improvements,” she said. “I’d love to see a facade improvement program helping to finance painting and tuckpointing.”
But Williams said downtown owners will be very cautious about any program that will add red tape and complicate improvement efforts.
“They want to maintain their buildings. They want to take care of them. Sometimes finances are tight,” she said.
“I want our businesses to be able to focus on their day to day operations within their businesses,” and sometimes those priorities get in the way of fixing exterior issues like peeling paint.
Williams works to make sure downtown property owners feel valued and appreciated as they maintain the beautiful historic structures.
The Downtown Special Improvement District stretches down Main Street from Clay Street to Ordway Avenue, and on Wooster Street from Church to Prospect streets. The owners are assessed annually through property taxes to maintain the downtown.
“Our job is to make sure downtown stays beautiful,” Williams said.
That includes sweeping sidewalks after busy bar nights, planting and maintaining flowers, handling holiday decorations, and helping with events like the Black Swamp Arts Festival, Rally BG on Main, and Firefly Nights.
“My job is being a cheerleader for the downtown” – and encouraging people to shop locally rather than order from Amazon, Williams said.
“We want to make it more convenient and more beneficial for them to pop into one of our stores,” she said. “That takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of time to get people to believe in the reciprocity of supporting our local businesses.”
“That’s deeply important to our community,” Williams said.
Her job is also making owners aware of resources to help them maintain their buildings with exterior issues like getting rid of chipping paint and tuckpointing.
Members of the Historic Preservation Commission complimented Williams on all the work Downtown BG does. Wil Roudebush praised the plantings and the banners that seem to unify the downtown.
And Williams thanked the HPC for its efforts in placing historical markers throughout the downtown area, and organizing a scavenger hunt.
“Thank you for investing in projects like that, that bring people to our downtown,” Williams said.
Sampen said he recently met with parents of potential BGSU students, who commented on the cleanliness of the downtown.
“The little things matter,” Williams said. “Hard things are worth doing.”
