Downtown Lowell hopes to sustain its revival

Three years after Lowell  pumped in half a million dollars to revitalize Lowell's historic downtown with new sidewalks, the commercial district is in the midst of another transformation.

Several vacant buildings sit along the stretch of Commercial Avenue that typically houses an assortment of antique and gift shops, restaurants and other locally owned stores.

But merchants urge you to look past those empty storefronts and get a glimpse of the future, which they say is promising.

"We have been going through quite a few transitions," said Mona Kuechenberg, events coordinator and marketing director for the Lowell Downtown Merchants Association.

"At one point, every building in the downtown was occupied with something unique."

Specialty shops dotted the street along with long-time staples such as The Davis Store and Sickenger's Jewelry and restaurants such as Nellie Jayne's Cafe, which drew patrons from as far as Illinois.

As recently as early 2004, the storefronts were bustling. Then in late 2004 to early 2006, the two- to three-block stretch of historic late-1800s buildings saw shops close for one reason or another.

For a short time, as many as eight shops were vacant. But all that is about to change, Kuechenberg said.

Changes under way

"As anyone can tell you, you don't want to see stores empty too long," Kuechenberg said.

Today the majority of the buildings have been rented or purchased. Cornerstone Mansion opened its doors in March in the former Bacon Mansion.

McVey's Restaurant and Bar took over the space vacated by the Stork's Nest and opened its doors Sept. 1.

A French cafe and bakery will appear soon where Nellie Jayne's Cafe once operated. Eclectic Attic, featuring two stories of antiques and gifts, opened this summer in the Carnegie building, which was originally home to Lowell's library.

A music store also is preparing to open its doors soon. The sign is in the window and work is under way, Kuechenberg said.

Right now, Kuechenberg said, there are only two available buildings to purchase, one of which may also be rented. A third empty building has been purchased, but it is unclear at this time if the new owners intend to open a business.

"If anybody wants to do their dream and invest in downtown, I don't anticipate many openings after this," she said.

Planning a focus on downtown

In the meantime, the town of Lowell has been developing a plan that would help make its downtown area -- along with the rest of the community -- more viable.

The town is working with Ball State University on a comprehensive plan that is expected to be complete later this month, according to Wilbur Cox, the director of community development.

"As towns grow as Lowell has, sometimes you get away from the downtown area," Cox said.

The goal is to bring focus back into the downtown, which has a strong historic significance for the community and Lake County.

Along with the comprehensive plan, a historic preservation commission has been created. The downtown presently has a historic designation, and work is under way to place it on the National Register of Historic Places, Cox said.

Cox hopes those efforts will make funds available to building owners, through grants or low-interest loans, to make improvement to the aging buildings.

While the fronts of the buildings may be charming, he noted, it is equally important the backs of the buildings are cared for and the parking lots be in good repair and well-lit to encourage shoppers.

The town is meeting with building and business owners to assess their needs and see what the town can do to help, Cox said.

"Every place that has a downtown area has not always maintained its downtown area. Everything grows away from it," he said. "Lowell wants to be recognized as Lowell. They want to have the Lowell flavor the way it grew."

And with the possibility of the South Shore Line's commuter service extending into Lowell, Cox said, the Old Depot Station is being worked into the comprehensive plan. Transit-oriented development around the station can help the community and downtown flourish.

With the comprehensive plan, the town is trying to put in place ordinances that will sustain downtown and make it friendlier for pedestrian traffic.

Officials also are planning with the state to have information signs identifying Lowell's historic downtown placed along Interstate 65 and U.S. 41.

"One thing any community can't do is to lose its identity," Cox said. "The downtown is the community's identity."

Kuechenberg agrees the downtown area is part of what makes Lowell unique and said the merchants association wants to focus on that as it plans events to draw people into the community.

"We're committed. We're passionate," she said. "There's not another downtown like ours. We are unique to ourselves. You can have wonderful businesses in a downtown, but you can't re-create the original history we have with these buildings."

Marketing downtown

Getting out the word about the downtown's attractions is important. The merchants association has been working with the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau for seven or eight years to bring attention to the area.

In recent years, the organization helped organize a couple of bus tours to Lowell with the visitors bureau. This year, due to some of the empty storefronts, the bus tours were scratched. However, at least two already are planned for 2007.

Kuechenberg sees the downtown as a potential destination for shoppers and even diners. Right now, seven restaurants are located within a three-block area. When the French cafe opens, there will be eight.

The merchants association also works to bring events downtown that not only bring in visitors but also highlight the historic uniqueness of the community. For example, next weekend's Yuletide Open House will have a Norman Rockwell-style Christmas theme with carolers, Old St. Nick and Frosty.

Other events involved cooperation with the Halsted House, which is staffed by volunteers in period garb to help tell the history of the town.

Marketing and event planning are important to the success of any downtown, according to Gayle Van Sessen, executive director of the Greater Crown Point Chamber of Commerce.

Van Sessen has been with the Crown Point chamber for 13 years and has seen her community's historic downtown evolve.

"We've worked on (marketing) on several different avenues," she said. "Over the years, we've hit them all."

The Crown Point chamber has worked with the Lake County visitors bureau on bus tours. It also sponsors a map and magazine about Crown Point that is available for visitors and potential new businesses, and it is putting together a brochure that will be available in the visitors centers on Interstate 65 and in Hammond.

Currently, there are four billboards on I-65 that were funded by the Courthouse Foundation, a group of local antique dealers. The billboards have been a big success, Van Sessen said.

The biggest challenge is getting businesses to cooperate when it comes to spending advertising dollars.

"Do you advertise on your own, or do they pool their money and get different advertising?" she asked of the challenge.

The Crown Point chamber would like to create a television commercial about historic Crown Point that would air in neighboring states such as Illinois and Michigan. They are trying to figure out a way to pay for the venture.

"We're not here to invite people from Northwest Indiana to come here," Van Sessen said. "We want to make sure others know about us."

She said the interest in downtown Crown Point was propelled forward when the community completed its streetscaping project more than 10 years ago.

Like its neighbor, Lowell recently finished streetscaping the downtown, adding period lighting. There is also talk of possibly using cobblestone in some areas to create that turn-of-the-last-century feel.

Van Sessen said those efforts will be helpful for Lowell's downtown as it moves forward with the comprehensive plan.

"It's so much easier when you have the town and everybody else working on same page," she said.