Monument Square District is Growing and Changing!

On October 8th and 9th, 2024, Heritage Ohio coordinated a Downtown Assessment Resource Team (DART) visit to Urbana, Ohio.

The team included Frances Jo Hamilton, Director of Revitalization, and Lorna Swisher, Assistant Director of Revitalization. The visit was jointly funded by Monument Square District (MSD) and the City of Urbana. Heritage Ohio DART visits help communities develop and enhance downtown revitalization programs.

Over lunch, provided by the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, the team met with stakeholders to discuss the history of downtown revitalization, current efforts taking place, and the community dynamics at work. The DART team asked many questions of the stakeholders, gathering important background and current information. While in Urbana, the DART team toured downtown and led a community visioning session at First Presbyterian Church on Court Street.

MSD, the Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Urbana have embarked on an effort to make the Main Street corridor more welcoming and pedestrian-friendly. As a Main Street Program, a mix of philanthropic grants and federal, state, and local funding would be available. The effort aims to transform downtown with improvements designed to make Main Street Urbana a destination and gathering place for all.

For more information, email [email protected].

About Heritage Ohio
Heritage Ohio helps people save the places that matter, build community, and live better. As Ohio’s official historic preservation and Main Street organization, Heritage Ohio fosters economic development and sustainability through the preservation of historic buildings, revitalization of downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts, and promotion of cultural tourism. Since 1998, Heritage Ohio has contracted with the National Main Street Center as Ohio’s state coordinating agency for the Main Street Program™.