La Grande Oregon Downtown Corridor | Mainstreet Program
La Grande has maintained a strong and vital downtown in spite of the economic recession. Many of our large beautiful brick buildings are intact, we have plenty of trees, and the sidewalks are great for walking and shopping.
The recent addition (or adoption) of the Mainstreet Program and the injection of Federal Funds have sent a shock of revitalization through the La Grande downtown corridor. Many of the awnings were showing the wear and tear of time, and these funds helped replace many of them. New windows have been installed in several shops, and the funds helped pay for new bike racks featuring our famous face of Mt. Emily.
Downtown festivals have finally emerged and have been quite fun. Great bands from both in and out of town, terrific beer and wine gardens, and plenty of shopping are a great new twist on the party.
This is not to say some folks aren't having trouble in our small town. Several vacancies have emerged as the big box stores draw customers out of the heart of our city and into the big parking lots if the big stores. A troublesome parking system has frustrated out of towners visiting the downtown as they are greeted with a ticket as they come out of a movie.
But solutions are on the way. The Mainstreet Program is filling the vacant storefronts with info about things to do in our valley. Outdoor recreation, the dinner train, paintings by kids; anything is better than a blank window. An uproar from the community has the local government looking at possible ways to solve the parking problem.
As we move out of this economic funk, I look forward to seeing the downtown continue to become the thriving heart of our area.
Jeff D Clark
La Grande's Realtor
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