Rebuilding Downtown - One Building at a Time

Image: The Carnegie Library - J.E Coleman

In the late 90s, the shopping mall reigned king. Like a weed with massive root systems, it choked the life out of the entirety of the proverbial town garden. Main streets grew dark, well-established businesses shuttered their windows, and all the little signs of live that once showed a thriving ecosystem of the little streets became sparse.

Image: The Historic Bohm Building & Goshen Butcher Shop (Originally Edwardsville Frozen Foods. Yes, the iconic Cow is original.) - J.E Coleman

How does one rectify this slow march toward irrelevancy of the small town? At the end of the day, one doesn’t. In the words of Rich Walker from the last article here: “The stars just have to align; it really has to work out. We had a lot of naysayers who wanted proof that this was going to work… It’s a mountain. It can be done. We’re living proof, right here.”

Image: The Wildey Theatre, Marquee & Stage- J.E Coleman

This excerpt from our interview on the renovation of the Wildey Theatre spoke to the extreme difficulty in the renovation of a single building, let alone the cultural rebirth of a small town. However, like we discussed in our previous article, that is exactly what happened. After the reconstruction of a historic theatre, new streetlamps were put in, brick walking paths and streets were laid, other historic buildings found new life as commercial and retail spaces, and the events within the town of Edwardsville, IL, made it a draw for the surrounding area.

Image: The iconic Tunnel Building & its premiere business, Mojo's - J.E Coleman

Is the resurrection of a town simply new fixtures and boutique soap shops? No. It’s a concerted effort from both the citizenry and the local government. It takes resiliency, a sense of duty, dedication, and purpose. It takes effort to see the value and character of the old workhorse buildings that have been the backdrop to your everyday life, whether or not you’re a lifetime resident.

Image: What was once a Furniture Department Store serving the entire county, this building has been repurposed for both commerce and leisure. - J.E Coleman

It takes the same clarity of vision of Thomas Kirkpatrick back in 1805.