Chamber CEO Rob Parker says cultural arts district key to growth
This post was provided by News Now Warsaw
By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce President Rob Parker said he believes establishing a cultural arts district is key to continued growth in downtown Warsaw.
The proposal, outlined a week ago by Main Street Warsaw, includes numerous proposals of varying size and costs, and is aimed at bringing more people to the downtown and boosting the quality of life in ways to boost economic development.
Main Street Warsaw hopes to tap into money through the state and be funded by Lilly to help finance some of the projects, some of which could be announced over the coming months.
The emphasis on public art is geared toward feeding off the concept of a “creative economy.”
“We believe very strongly in the creative arts economy, whether that’s musicians or artists or graphic designers or even restaurateurs, or chefs — they’re very creative — and they come up with things that help our economy grow. We want those in our downtown. We need art in our downtown. It really reflects the heart of the community,” Parker said earlier this week for a taping of In The Know, the public affairs show you can hear this weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations.
He’s especially keen on plans to create a festival street — possibly on North Buffalo near the proposed parking garage and the edge of Center Lake.
The idea is to revamp a portion of the street into a flat surface without curbs to allow for seating, pedestrians, and festival activities. It would become a home to festival activities in the downtown instead of having to close off parts of Center and Buffalo streets for each festival event.
“This would enable us to have a street that is dedicated to foot traffic and events, and that’s what I’m super excited about,” Parker said.
The plan is being driven by Terry Sweeney, director of downtown development for Main Street Warsaw, which relied on recommendations based on community input collected earlier this year by a consultant, Designing Local.
Parker also talked about his ten years at the helm of the Chamber and its recent community award from the state chamber that salutes the entire county for strong collaborative leadership, economic diversification, and focus on enhancing quality of life.
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