Main Street Mile opens Saturday in downtown Ravenna
“When she saw an aerial map of downtown Ravenna, Chelsea Gregor was surprised to learn that the distance from Clinton Street to Sycamore Street and back was a 1-mile loop.
That was when Gregor, a member of Main Street Ravenna’s board, thought that could be used to market the city’s downtown area.
The “Main Street Mile,” a 1-mile loop of downtown Ravenna, will have a grand opening Saturday to show residents how the mile can call attention to the downtown area. The event will include a DJ, a 9/11 Memorial Fundraiser by the city’s fire department, a Touch A Truck event for kids, a dog Halloween costume contest, and promotions from businesses along the mile.
Gregor said she hopes people will gain an understanding of why Ravenna and its downtown area are so unique.
“The goal for the mile is to create a fun and engaging walk,” she said. “We want residents, organizations and businesses to be proud to be a part of the mile. We also want to create an experience that will draw in visitors.”
Eventually, Gregor said, she hopes the mile will become home to a variety of promotions, such as “Christmas Walk on The Main Street Mile,” “First Friday Fun Walk” or “Main Street Mile Dog Walk.”
“As far as events along the mile, the sky’s the limit,” she said. “You can make the mile anything you want it to be.”
There are about 10 landmarks pointed out on Main Street’s map of the mile. Pavement markings will be installed to highlight various points along the mile.
Gregor said she got the idea for the mile when Dennis West, the city’s community development director, showed her maps that illustrated that the distance between Clinton and Sycamore streets is almost half a mile. She realized that if one were to walk the sidewalk between those streets and cross the road, the distance would be exactly a 1-mile loop.
Walking that mile, she said, would give people a better look of some of the things happening in the city and the businesses that are opening.
“There are a lot of good things happening in the city,” she said. “Things can spring up from there.”
Gregor said she is grateful for others who collaborated on the project, and hopes the mile will also inspire collaboration among organizations and businesses in Ravenna.
“It seemed fitting to make it a collaborative effort because we’re all in this together, and it’s more fun together,” she said.”
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@recordpub.com.
Article from: https://www.record-courier.com/story/news/2021/10/20/downtown-ravenna-main-street-mile-opens-saturday/8517927002/
