John Arnold, George Finnagan, Nick Sherwin, Chris
Alba, Barbara Wilcox,
Jan Hop and Director Norma Moye celebrate National Main Street Victory.
| ALBUQUERQUE, NM (MAY 10, 2004) Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Kennedy Smith, Director of the National Trust's National Main Street Center, announced today that Paso Robles, California has earned a 2004 Great American Main Street Award for its successful efforts in revitalizing its downtown area through historic preservation at the opening session of the Trust's National Main Street Conference in Albuquerque. Situated halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, El Paso De Robles (the Pass of the Oaks) sprang up in the 1880s, much like the bubbling mineral springs that attracted its first residents. People flocked to this river valley town set amid rolling hills and oaks. From 1889 to the 1980s, it was the hub of commerce but with the explosion of shopping centers in the suburbs tripled the available square footage. By then, the downtown's famous hotel had burned, the mineral springs were capped, 33 vacant storefronts lined the town square, and the district's once-proud Classic Revival buildings were pigeon-infested. A recession in the nineties struck a near crippling blow from which they recovered economically, but their latest challenge came when a 6.5 earthquake on December 22, 2003 that damaged or destroyed 82 historic downtown buildings but did not destroy the spirit of this vibrant community. "The hallmark of a truly great revitalization program is its resilience. Even before the earthquake devastated its downtown, Paso Robles deserved this recognition; they had shown that saving historic buildings was not only possible but profitable," said Richard Moe. "They earned the award many times over as they dealt with the aftermath of the quake. They sprang into action with business assistance and worked to preserve the pieces of Paso Robles historic buildings. They had brought about rebirth of their community once, and they were equipped to do it again." The people of Paso Robles have shown that they refuse to give up without a fight. Their first battle began in 1987 when the community began to focus on the downtown's revitalization, Paso Robles became a California Main Street community and the citizens, from business people to school children, rallied around the concept that volunteers united with government could save their town. Since the inception of community based Paso Robles Main Street program, the downtown has seen a total of 209 private sector building improvement projects, valued at almost $14 million. Paso Robles has proven to be an exceptional model of small town revitalization by showing how Main Street, the city, the private sector, and the community can join together to rejuvenate a historic downtown. Demand for leasing space has exceeded supply since late 2000. Property values have increased between 5 and 8.5 percent each year over the past 15 years. From 1993 to 2003, 99 new businesses have opened, bringing 508 new jobs downtown, and nearly $36 million dollars in combined public and private reinvestment. Local business owner Ali Salmanzadeh is an example of one of why Paso Robles has made this turnaround. In 1996, Salmanzadeh, new owner, of the old Bank of Italy building and a member of the Main Street program's volunteer based economic restructuring committee demonstrated his dedication and investment in this community. He rehabilitated the building, which houses an antique shop and a state agency, bringing 50 new jobs to the downtown. Twelve out of 14 owners of multi-story buildings have followed Salmandzadeh's lead by restoring abandoned upper floors. And, following the earthquake, Salmanzadeh again showed dedication by restoring his building again. The 2004 Great American Main Street Award winners are: Paso Robles, California, Burlington, Iowa, Encinitas, California, Rogers, Arkansas, and Westfield, New Jersey. Each winning community receives a $2,500 cash prize to further its revitalization efforts, a bronze plaque commemorating its award, road signs, and a certificate. Established in 1980, the National Trust's National Main Street Center helps communities of all sizes revitalize their older and historic commercial districts. Active in over 1,700 downtowns and urban neighborhoods, the Main Street program has generated more than $16.1 billion in new investment. Participating communities have created 226,000 net new jobs, 56,300 net new businesses, and rehabilitated more than 88,700 buildings, leveraging an average of $39.93 in new investment for every dollar spent on main street district revitalization effort. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable. The Trust provides leadership, education and advocacy to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize communities. For more info visit www.nationaltrust.org
The Main Street Association would like to
thank all the people who made this award possible and thank all the
staff and volunteers who's tireless work help make Paso Robles such a
great city in which to live and work. |
