A temporary speaker system plays music on Lafayette Street in downtown Greenville on Thursday. Members of the Greenville Downtown Development Authority are discussing the option of purchasing a permanent speaker system that would be available to use for downtown events. — DN Photo | Cory Smith
GREENVILLE — As shoppers took to the street Thursday evening for the annual “Ladies Night Out” event on Lafayette Street, they did so braving freezing temperatures, but with smiles on their faces.
While much of the enjoyment came from the camaraderie of shopping together while enjoying dozens of vendors who set up shop inside stores along the street, the mood was made additionally enjoyable thanks to music filling the air from street to street.
It’s not often music plays in downtown Greenville, as it’s usually limited to events such as Danish Festival, Gus Macker, Greenville Area Car Show and surrounding the Christmas holiday; however, members of the Greenville Downtown Development Authority (DDA) are continuing to explore the idea of making the concept of music downtown a permanent affair.
During Tuesday’s DDA meeting, DDA member Wendy Gladding brought forth an update regarding a potential permanent sound system.
“The biggest difference I think with something that’s temporary, is that’s it’s temporary,” she said. “The exposed wiring, everything is above ground, so I think that it’s something that all of us really need to think about.”
For the past several months the DDA has entertained the idea of pursing a permanent system, which would include conduit wiring below ground, to power speakers that would be placed along Lafayette Street to play music whenever it is deemed convenient to do so.
Such a system could be utilized for downtown events, which currently rent out speaker systems — a concept that is beginning to add up cost-wise as rentals are requested multiple times a year at a rate of $1,500.
With Gladding bringing forth specific details of a potential project for the first time since introducing the subject in July, City Manager George Bosanic asked that he be given time to review the information, including potential costs and options from ground wiring to wireless, and potentially produce more information for the DDA at a later meeting.
“I don’t know much yet about what we’re talking about, I don’t know if this is the right way to go, so I’m thinking we need to sort out what is the right way to go, depending on how this gets paid for, because we’ve got to do it right,” he said. “The more we know, the more I can give you guidance on it.”
With the downtown area of the city also being promoted as a “living space” for residents, in addition to the businesses, Mayor John Hoppough said the DDA should exercise caution when contemplating something that would impact both residents and businesses.
“I still have concerns, especially if we are spending funds on a system that could become obsolete in a number of years,” he said.
Gladding originally brought forth the topic as she suggested the DDA work toward accomplishing some of the smaller, less expensive projects outlined within its tax increment financing plan (TIF).
“One of the projects that we had talked about was the communications/technology enhancements. That wasn’t one of the forefront issues, but it is a project that is definitely needed,” she said.
According to the city’s TIF plan, the DDA has estimated those improvements to cost $50,000.
Greenville Downtown Development Authority (DDA) member Tim Mulcahy, left, listens during Tuesday’s meeting as DDA member and Greenville Mayor John Hoppough gives his thoughts on potentially purchasing poles that would serve to hang an advertising banner over either M-57 or M-91. — DN Photo | Cory Smith
Banners over highways
The DDA also explored the concept of re-introducing a banner over M-57 that would be used to advertise events in the downtown district such as the Danish Festival.
According to the proposal brought forward by Bosanic, in order to implement a banner over a highway controlled by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) poles meeting their specifications would be required, one on either side of the roadway, to hang the banner from.
The initial estimate Bosanic received showed that each pole would cost approximately $3,500, or $7,000 in total, to hang a banner.
In previous years, a banner was hung near where Castle Brewing and Jorgi’s Supermarket are located; however, Bosanic said the poles that were utilized to hang the banners are owned by Consumers Energy, and the company requested they not be used in that manner.
Now members of the DDA are deliberating where the banner poles should be located, and if more than one set of poles should be installed in the community.
“I think we need to go west and bring people in,” DDA member Mandy Lum said. “I think it needs to be over by Jorgi’s again, that was a perfect location.”
DDA Member Deb Huch said she felt a banner placement near Veterans Park would be a good location, as it is about halfway between the downtown district and the city’s west side.
“I am shocked at the traffic on east M-57 coming into town, and I think we’re missing it because we all tend to think more about the west side of town because that’s where the business is, but people are still coming from the east,” she said.
Initially, members of the DDA suggested placing the banner closer to the downtown district, near Franklin Street, but Gladding said she felt it might be better served to place advertising banners farther away from the downtown district.
“I think you’re getting too close to the downtown if you do it at Franklin Street,” she said. “We want to draw people downtown, so I think it makes sense to have it farther out. If we don’t have any signage farther out, people don’t know what’s going on downtown.”
DDA member Davide Uccello said he thinks more than one location should be looked at, and potentially, more than one set of poles should be installed.
“We have the aspect of regaining some of that money back through fees to use the banner, so this is not something that you put up and have to charge a bunch of money for right away,” he said. “They are going to be up for a long time, so even if we recoup the cost over a span of five years, that’s worth it.”
Chairman David Ralph said the DDA would look to evaluate the areas of Jorgi’s, Veterans Park, Franklin Street and Jackson’s Landing Park along M-57, as well as a location “on the north end” of M-91, before making any decisions.
No matter what location is chosen, if the poles are to be placed on either M-57 or M-91, approval will be required from MDOT.
