Small-Scale-Capital-Project-LT-2017-04-Cle Elum

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The downtown,more than any other place in most cities reflects much of the heritage and experiences of the people and community.Heritage includes more than buildings,however.Over the years,main streets have been the site of countless community events,including parades,festivals,celebrations,and political rallies.Currently Cle Elum holds significant events such as:Pioneer Days Parade,Pioneer Village,Cle Elum Roundup,Cruise Cle Elum,Christmas in Cle Elum and others.Downtown Cle Elum provides a great range of functions for these tourists promoted gatherings. Downtown provides an attraction that is situated within a compact area that is easily accessible.Most communities strive to make the experience of walking more enjoyable by adding amenities for pedestrians.Widely used amenities include: •Brick pavers to make sidewalks look more distinctive; •Planters,flower baskets,and street trees to soften the environment and provide color and shade; •Banners and flags to make the district look more festive and colorful;and •Benches to give people a place to sit,rest,watch what goes on around them. Public art is another means through which heritage can be expressed.The use of murals can liven an area and convey some aspect of the community's heritage. Promotion is the key.Brochures and advertisements highlighting main street's attractions,businesses,and events can effectively get the word out.Walking tours that highlight the downtown's history and architecture would be another avenue of promotion.Festivals,parades,concerts,farmers markets,and children's events are some of the popular attractions that have been successfully and used to promote downtowns nationwide. How does this pertain to using Lodging Tax Funds? Currently with the events listed above,city of Cle Elum is averaging 40/60 mix.Forty percent of the festival and events attendees are coming from out of the area.Now if we continue to stage the events to include the downtown core; beautification of such area will be needed to finalize the sale of visiting Cle Elum.Promoting such events and having those travelers walk throughout the downtown while in town the use of such benches and planters would be "significant". The heart and soul of any community,besides its people is its downtown.But if locals don't "hang out"downtown, neither will visitors.Cle Elum's downtown area is fair but in need of improvements.After a hiatus of nearly 50 years, mixed-use town centers are now emerging as the wave of the future.The elements most commonly identified as missing by younger generations are what sociologist Ray Oldenburg has referred to as "third places."Third places are the traditional gathering places found outside the home (our "first place")and the workplace (our "second place).Third places include cafes,pubs,town squares,small retail shops,village greens,and entertainment venues.The need for these "third places"is exemplified by the Gen-xers hanging out at the mall and seniors'using them for morning walks. Creating a "third place"can put a community on the map and give it a focal point,a heart,an identity. A strong sense of place cannot be created overnight,nor can it be the result of one major project or initiative.Even if the project and effort where to start small the impact will create community prides which will be creating ownership and pride throughout the community. The project in front of you today,will help the movement of a full revitalization of the Cle Elum Downtown from Peoh Ave to Oakes Avenue.Currently the plan included has the full scope of the desired area but we would like to implement a beginning corner to use as the sample to continue with the full scale project.Having such a diverse project that is a major project;please review the attached plans and review the existing conditions and the proposed planning.Please be mindful for the process we are only asking for the sample block of the project which will be at Peoh Ave.