The goals include attracting new local businesses, recreational opportunities, enhancing public spaces and preserving the sense of creating a memorable destination for residents and visitors.
Rothenberger spoke about different recommendations, proposed projects and ideas for what downtown Fairmount could look like.
“This is a community-led process to shape the future of the downtown area. Again, this is long-term, this isn’t going to materialize overnight,” he said.
In September, there was a steering committee meeting which then led to a survey that was sent out to residents to ask questions about what they would like to see in downtown Fairmount.
According to Rothenberger, the vision statement for the revitalization plan allows downtown Fairmount to be viewed as a charming and walkable district that honors its 1950s heritage while accommodating thoughtful reinvestment in contemporary design.
“Building on its identity as the hometown of James Dean, Main Street Fairmount strives to balance historic character with modern amenities to support economic vitality and community life through coordinated public and private partnerships and community-driven initiatives,” Rothenberger said.
The four goals
In the revitalization plan presentation, there are four overarching goals for downtown Fairmount which include placemaking, beautification and preservation, business attraction and redevelopment and housing.
In terms of placemaking, Main Street Fairmount and HWC Engineering want to position Fairmount as a multi-stop destination with diverse experiences. The placemaking goal would encourage locals to reinvest in their community while also attracting visitors.
“One of the top challenges of the downtown area is the ability to provide reasons for people to visit Fairmount on a regular basis outside of the annual festival and events,” the presentation said.
Under the beautification and preservation goal, the presentation said it would strengthen community pride through visual enhancements that reflect and celebrate the downtown’s 1950s heritage.
The presentation said there are strategies in place that would maintain and revitalize the historic character of downtown Main Street but would also introduce modern amenities that honor the 1950s legacy. Code enforcement, preservation programs and regulations would help build community pride and assist with additional redevelopment efforts.
The third goal, business attraction and redevelopment, would help activate the downtown area by strengthening economic vitality and community life. The presentation said there are several properties within the downtown area that are vacant or underutilized.
“These sites represent key redevelopment opportunities that could attract additional businesses, residents and visitors to downtown,” the presentation said. “Community survey results indicate that Fairmount residents frequently travel outside of town for everyday goods and services.”
One of the strategies under this goal would include promoting initiatives that bring new activity to underutilized buildings, especially street-level storefronts.
Goal four, which includes housing, would increase opportunities for housing within the downtown district. The presentation said the limited availability of housing within the downtown district is directly related to reduced foot traffic and in turn diminishes economic vitality.
The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs’ community survey showed mixed opinions on downtown housing. Those who are concerned about it said they didn’t know about potential building aesthetics and insufficient ordinance enforcement.
“With these concerns in mind, this goal focuses on promoting activity and economic vitality in the downtown through thoughtful housing strategies, including the adaptive reuse of upper-story spaces for residential use and the redevelopment of blighted properties as housing opportunities,” the presentation said.
Downtown revitalization implementation options
During the presentation, Rothenberger showed two different options for public spaces and one for additional housing within the downtown area.
Currently, there is a 0.84-acre site that is used for parking, back-of-house use and the bank drive-thru directly behind First Farmers Bank and Branch Coffee shop. According to the presentation, the site is easily accessible by an alleyway that leads to Main Street.
The site could feature a lawn, furnished seating areas with tables and chairs and festive lighting. The area would still preserve the drive-thru and parking at the bank.
“For rural communities, a downtown park can build upon strengths that already exist but may be under-recognized,” the presentation said. “Emphasizing these assets helps create a space that is authentic, active and manageable to maintain.”
At 120 N. Main St., there is an idea to create a space that allows public and private use. The design would restore the existing masonry walls and expand the entry to create a welcoming presence.
Features at this location could include a centrally located fountain, swings that face Main Street, an open lawn pavilion, flower planting beds and a setting used for gathering or everyday use.
The additional housing location would be at 202 and 208 S. Walnut St. On this 0.5-acre lot, there could be five townhomes with rear-entry access.
“While the overall approach was well received, the site’s logistics and infrastructure requirements will need further evaluation before any preliminary improvements are finalized,” the presentation said.
Rothenberger also brought up an idea to give downtown a facade treatment and suggested restoring some of the character and bringing more life to the current buildings.
According to the presentation, Main Street Fairmount partnered with the Ball State Center for Historic Preservation and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs to develop a plan to ensure Fairmount’s historic character remains a big part of future developments.
Rothenberger said facade treatments can be key to receiving grant funding through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. He also said he will be applying for a grant through the office at the end of the month.