Love the Harrisonville Square and Missouri Main Street Connection will hold the first in a series of town hall meetings in November.
The meeting will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, at The Beck Event Space, located at 210 S Independence Street.
At the meeting, the public will be able to give input and engage with organizers as they work to incorporate a four-point approach to improving the square and to find partners to help LTHS be successful and thriving like the square.
In June, Love the Harrisonville Square was selected as a recipient of an Affiliate Grant from Missouri Main Street Connection that will provide training, mentoring and technical services in revitalizing the city’s historic commercial district.
Valued at $24,000, the goal of the grant, according to MMSC sources, is to assist the Love the Harrisonville Square group in carrying out an economic development program based on the preservation of historic assets in the area surrounding the Harrisonville Square and utilizing Main Street’s four-point approach to revitalization.
During the next two years, Missouri Main Street Connection will provide LTHS with training and mentoring to establish a revitalization effort focused on preserving the historic buildings that provide charm to the original shopping district, capitalize on increased interest in the square to facilitate change and build community partnerships to increase participation with the organization and interest in the historic district.
An early partner in the endeavors of the LTHS has been the City of Harrisonville. City Administrator Happy Welch is enthusiastic about the benefits which the grant will generate.
“The Harrisonville Square is the very heart of the city and city government is committed to preserving its historic aspects while also fostering a new vibrancy in our original business district,” he said.
As proof of the city’s commitment, Welch noted that various city staff and elected officials have been active members of the LTHS organization since its inception and that he and others helped with the competitive grant application. Welch also noted the city provided the 40-percent cash-funding match required to secure the new grant.
Throughout its history, MMSC has served over 178 Missouri communities. As one of the newest affiliates in the organization, Harrisonville will now be included in the Missouri Main Street Tier Structure which will track progress on standards established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Center.