Downtown Plymouth’s revitalization efforts are now officially certified by the State of Indiana.
Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs Executive Director Bill Konyha presented a certificate Thursday to leaders of Discover Plymouth, recognizing it as an Indiana Main Street organization. “Indiana Main Street encourages the revitalization and restoration of downtown areas of Indiana cities and towns as the traditional heart and hub of government, commerce, justice, and social interaction,” he said. “The downtown business district portrays the city’s overall image. Congratulations and welcome to Main Street.”
Discover Plymouth aims to revitalize the city’s downtown by coordinating the efforts of various civic groups. “What Discover Plymouth is doing is taking these groups that exist, taking their strengths, which are their people, and pulling them together,” said Discover Plymouth President Josh Walker. “So we’ve got the city involved in Discover Plymouth. We’ve got the chamber. We’ve got Marshall County Tourism, PIDCO, PEDCO, Redevelopment. We’ve got people from the park board involved with Discover Plymouth.”
As a Main Street organization, Discover Plymouth consists of four separate committees focusing on different areas of downtown revitalization: economic restructuring, design, promotions, and organization. Having a certified Main Street organization in place makes Plymouth eligible for additional grant opportunities, according to OCRA Community Liaison Jennifer Vandeburg. “They are largely targeted at helping improve the design of your downtown – facade programs, streetscape programs – and we also offer all kinds of resources and training for volunteers and leadership within a Main Street organization,” she said.
During Thursday’s event, Mayor Mark Senter said Discover Plymouth demonstrates what can happen if people work together to achieve one goal. “This group crosses party lines, generational lines, and financial status lines,” he said. “Each person joined in to work through this difficult process and makes this dream a reality. We need more of this kind of teamwork in Plymouth to continue to make Plymouth a positive place to live and work.”
Walker pointed out that Discover Plymouth could still use more people to serve on its committees, adding that different people bring their own unique talents to the organization.
