CITY
NOTEWORTHY PROJECTS The Historic Downtown Conroe Main Street Advisory Board was tasked with recommending projects in four di erent categories to city o cials that would enhance downtown Conroe’s appeal as part of a three-year strategic plan.
ORGANIZATION
• Re-establish Conroe Live. • Establish monthly happy
hour to connect existing events and businesses. • Enhance the Downtown Conroe website and social media presence.
DESIGN
• Install pedestrian way nding signs. • Add historical markers downtown. • Increase and repair lighting within downtown. • Add restrooms in Founders Plaza.
The Historic Downtown Conroe Main Street Advisory Board recommended downtown plans to council in April, including repurposing vacant buildings and installing way nding signs as part of the board’s 2023 25 strategic plan. (Photos by Peyton MacKenzie/Community Impact)
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Conroe hears recommendations for downtown revitalization
Larry Foerster, chair of the design committee, said in an April 12 council meeting the committee recommended adding historical markers downtown, adding public restrooms to Founders Plaza on Metcalf Street, and increasing and repairing lighting so pedestrians will feel more comfortable navigating the streets at night. To better promote the downtown area, recommendations included installing an electronic sign that will advertise and promote Downtown Conroe events. Carla Alsandor, chair of the organization committee, said another recommendation is to arrange speaking engagements to promote Historic Downtown Conroe. The plan also outlines re-establishing Conroe Live—a nonpro t that applies for grants and fundraising for Main Street in Conroe—Alsandor said. Pool said when the city left the Main Street program, Conroe Live lost a purpose. The city is now back in the program; therefore, the board wants to re-estab- lish a relationship with Conroe Live, which would be the main fundraising arm for Conroe’s Main Street. Pool said projects that qualify for grants could be funded, but those that do not qualify for grants would need to be funded by the city and private donations; however, a cost estimate could not be provided. “[The advisory board] is just an advisory board to the council,” Alsan- dor said. “So we need a fundraising arm to be able to do anything.”
SIMONTON ST.
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BY PEYTON MACKENZIE
was created after the Texas Historical Commission designated Conroe a Main Street Community in October 2021, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The purpose of the Main Street program is to aid and pro- mote projects in Downtown Conroe. The rst members were appointed to downtown, this was followed by the Texas Commission on the Arts also designating Downtown Conroe as a cultural district in September, providing Conroe with the ability to use resources to stimulate economic development in the arts, according to previous reporting. Project recommendations According to the advisory board’s the board in January 2022. As the city ups its focus on strategic plan, key recommendations included repurposing buildings and vacant lots owned by the city, o ering incentive grants to businesses that need nancial assistance for small improvements, and o ering support to downtown businesses to keep them operating in the downtown area. The plan also outlines a recommen- dation to design, order and install pedestrian way nding signs through- out downtown.
The Historic Downtown Conroe Main Street Advisory Board presented recommendations to council in April to promote and boost Downtown Con- roe’s economy as part of the board’s three-year strategic plan from 2023-25. The board is evaluating which projects will be prioritized and plans to present priorities to City Council at an upcoming meeting, although an exact date was unknown as of press time, board Chair Rodney Pool said. Once council approves priorities, projects will be completed over a three-year span. Timelines for each project are unknown as of press time, Pool said. Pool said four committees were established to consider recommenda- tions for the areas of economic vitality, design, organization and promotions in downtown. Each committee was tasked with meeting with stakehold- ers to pursue downtown changes. The process took two months and produced 70 recommendations to revitalize Downtown Conroe. “There was a lot of overlap, which we knew we were going to have, but we wanted to get everybody’s ideas. … Then we charged the committees to go back and prioritize,” Pool said. The Main Street Advisory Board
PROMOTIONS
• Purchase and install an electronic sign to promote Downtown Conroe events. • Arrange speaking
engagements to promote Historic Downtown Conroe.
ECONOMIC VITALITY
• O er incentive grants to businesses that need nancial assistance for improvements. • O er support to businesses to keep them operating downtown. • Redevelop buildings and vacant lots.
The plan seeks to redevelop buildings, such as this one on West Davis Street.
SOURCE: HISTORIC DOWNTOWN CONROE MAIN STREET ADVISORY BOARD STRATEGIC PLAN COMMUNITY IMPACT
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CONROE MONTGOMERY EDITION • MAY 2023
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