Coatesville Downtown Revitalization Committee Status Update
FEBRUARY 15TH, 2017 UPDATE
As we previously promised, what follows is an extensive CDR update. As you know, improvements take time to implement and many improvements happen due to grants and various fundraising events. You can help support us by attending the exciting events that we have planned throughout the year. The CDR works very closely with the Town Council and vice versa to make things happen. With your support at our events, we can make it happen that much faster.
This update will first list out all of the events we have planned for 2017. This will be a high level list with events by month. To get more specifics on a certain event, go to the Town or Coatesville Facebook page and look at the events page, all events are entered there. Secondly, we will discuss some of the items in the pipeline and some of the planned improvements with renderings of how some of the downtown area could look like in the future.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Again, please review the Town Facebook page for more specifics and exact dates. If you plan on coming to an event, you can let us know through the page by indicating you're attending. Many events listed are CDR sponsored, other are sponsored by the Fure Department.
FEB 2017:
- Final Bingo of the Season
MAR 2017:
- Chili Cook-off (Coatesville United Methodist Church
APR 2017:
- Easter Egg Hunt (Coatesville United Methodist Church)
- Annual Spaghetti Dinner (fundraising event)
MAY 2017:
- Movie Night in the Park Featuring "The Goonies"
- Main Street/O'Knappy's Kitchen Second Saturday Classic Car Cruise-in
- Movie Night in the Park Featuring "The Rookie"
JUN 2017:
- Movie Night in the Park Featuring "The Sandlot"
- Main Street/O'Knappy's Kitchen Second Saturday Classic Car Cruise-in
- Movie Night in the Park Featuring "Are We There Yet?"
JUL:
- Main Street/O'Knappy's Kitchen Second Saturday Classic Car Cruise-in
- Cruisin' In Coatesville Car Show & Street Fair / Firehouse Breakfast
AUG:
- Main Street/O'Knappy's Kitchen Second Saturday Classic Car Cruise-in
SEP:
- Main Street/O'Knappy's Kitchen Second Saturday Classic Car Cruise-in
- Movie Night in the Park Featuring "The Blind Side"
- Movie Night in the Park Featuring "Finding Nemo?"
OCT:
- Scarecrow Contest
- Facebook Pumpkin Carving Contest
- Coatesville CDR Halloween Reading
- Coatesville Firehouse Halloween
NOV:
- Bingo
- Christmas in Coatesville - Shop Local Businesses
- Christmas in Coatesville - Vendor Shopping
- Coatesville Christmas Tree Lighting
DEC:
- Chili With Santa
- Bingo / Ugly Sweater contest
- Snowman Contest'
- In-Town House Holiday Lighting Contest
As you can see, we have a full schedule of events this year. Many of the events are for you, The Community, and are free to attend and do not generate any revenue. Our largest fundraisers are the Spaghetti Dinner in April and then our Car Show and Street Fair in July. These events are so much fun that if you haven't been out, we hope you come out and help support us.
PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS:
Between the CDR and the town, we have many ideas and plans on revitalizing the town, especially along Main Street. In case you did not know, Coatesville, Indiana is recognized as an Indiana Main Street Community. With that, we have the opportunity for many grants that we would not have access to if we were not part of Main Street. Some grants have been approved and others are still in the works.
We can't iterate enough that other priorities may come up that have to be addressed first plus it takes time to apply for a grant. We have to wait for the grant application process to open and then apply which could takes months or even up to a year for a decision. The main reason no work has begun on main Street is that underground sewage pipes need to be repaired/replaced. Once the town is able to move forward with that, we will take advantage of the street being open so we can run all the necessary underground wiring to support any future vintage looking lights we may want along the sidewalk.
While we wait for the right time to do the underground wiring, we have formed a park committee that is looking into a grant to create a pocket park in the grassy park area. I know many do not know what we mean when we reference park, but that would be the grassy area (and cement pad) along Milton street directly across from Bousley's Funeral Home on the east side of the street from Bousley's and then you have north entrance directly across the street from Still Here Liquors.
I'm sure I didn't cover everything since there is a lot of irons in the fire, but these are the high points. These items will come to fruition in due time and be assurred the CDR, Town and others are working on it. It all just takes time and money. In the meantime, I leave you with some photo renderings that were created some time back of some areas in Downtown Coatesville that will give you our perception of how Coatesville could look in the future.
Thank You.
Steven Schultz
President, Coatesville Downtown Revitalization