“We want to make downtown awesome” — architect

An architect on behalf of a two-member team from the state municipal association helped rev up a crowd of interested Walhallans into imagining the future for the city’s downtown business district.  Randy Wilson has been in Walhalla only three days, but he’s sold on many of the assets that lie within the core commercial district.  He and his colleague Jenny Boulware have elicited the thoughts and opinions of Walhallans as to how to make the downtown an even more attractive place for the public to play, eat and shop.  A total of 191 people responded to a survey arranged by Libby Imbody, Main Street Director, in which they rated Mountain Mocha, the Hungry Hiker, and Partners in Wine their three favorite places.  But Walhallans who were surveyed want more for the downtown—such as a grocery store, a hotel, and more dining availabilities.  How to get there is the $64 thousand dollar question, however, and architect Wilson spent much of his presentation floating ideas how to make the downtown a more inviting and easier place for business to invest.  At the same time, he doesn’t want the public to ignore the existing downtown businesses.  “Show some love to your local businesses,” he said.  Possibilities to convert Walhalla to a destination town, instead of a pass-thru to the mountains, include new facades, tax credits to fix old buildings, and a one-stop shop for a prospective business person to acquire all required permits.