Renovations and Events Energize Historic Downtown Glasgow
When Gary and Karin Carroll moved to Glasgow from Arizona in 2006, they knew the city’s downtown district had amazing potential. After the couple purchased the historic Hall Place Bed & Breakfast just off the square, comments from their out-of-town guests only fueled that feeling.
“When we moved here, we just kept thinking how beautiful the square was,” Gary says. “Then guests would come stay at the B&B and tell us our downtown was a sleeping giant.”
In an effort to stimulate revitalization downtown, the Carrolls bought four empty storefronts at a June 2009 auction and are renovating them to house small businesses. One has already opened as a martial arts studio. They hope to fill the others with retail shops, antique stores and other businesses that would draw people downtown.
“I’m trying to keep my costs low so I can keep the rents low to help entrepreneurs succeed,” he says. “I’ve traveled to other cities where their downtowns were thriving with small businesses. On weekends, people walk around downtown and have a great time. And I thought, ‘This could be
us. We have the vehicle – we just have to drive it.’”
The Carrolls aren’t the only ones working to energize downtown Glasgow. The city’s Renaissance/Main Street Program is focused on breathing life back into downtown.
“We started about six years ago with the historic Plaza Theatre,” says Debbie Jones, director of the Renaissance/Main Street Program. “We got that back up and running, and it’s a big attraction again. We’re tickled to death about that.”
Now Renaissance/Main Street is applying for facade grants that would aid businesses with building upkeep in the historic district, and the program is focusing on filling empty buildings with viable businesses.
“We also plan events downtown that people want to go to,” Jones says. “We always have the Cruise Into Fall Car Show in October and the Light Up Glasgow event at Christmas. When all the lights go on, downtown looks like a Norman Rockwell painting. It brings pride and character back to downtown.”
Renaissance/Main Street recently installed new lights and a new clock downtown to fit the city’s character. And the program markets available buildings in a unique way.
“We don’t say buildings are for sale – we say they are opportunities,” Jones explains. “Opportunities to do something wonderful.”
Meanwhile, the City of Glasgow is hard at work on a streetscape project to improve sidewalks, crosswalks, curbs, gutters and landscaping downtown.
The city is working with the local arts guild on a mural project that includes the painting of several large murals on the back sides of buildings.
Bowling Green mural artist David Jones has been doing much of the work, and his latest painting can be seen on the back of the Rogers and Drivers Law Firm building at the intersection of East Main and South Broadway streets.
“People are starting to see that old buildings are not meant to be torn down – they’re meant to be valued,” Jones says. “Downtown has wonderful buildings with history galore. One was just made into the Liberty Street Apartments for senior citizens, and they are gorgeous. Another building is being renovated now into more apartments for the public.”
Back at Hall Place Bed & Breakfast, the Carrolls welcome guests from all over the world including the Netherlands, Scotland and Ireland. And they are increasingly proud to show off downtown Glasgow.
“We’re taking downtown to the next level,” Gary Carroll says.
Jones shares that sense of pride.
“Our downtown is a slice of Americana we don’t want to lose,” she says. “It’s alive and well in Glasgow.”
