Nov. 17—MITCHELL — The future of Mitchell's Main Street is looking bright.
That's the sentiment a group of local nonprofit leaders felt after receiving an update on the myriad of downtown beautification projects and building renovations during a recent meeting.
Mitchell Main Street and Beyond Director Ashely Endres is among the nonprofit leaders who has been making strides to revive an aging downtown Mitchell. She pointed to the renovation projects at the Woolworth building on the corner of Third Avenue and Main Street and the Western on Main building across the street as two ongoing projects that highlight major downtown improvements.
"The Western on Main building is looking great, and we have a new window art contest that will be taking place at the Woolworth building, which is also being remodeled," Endres said. "There are a lot of good things happening downtown with building owners making improvements and the city bringing in the streetscape installations."
Tuesday's meeting offered attendees a first-glance at the building improvements John Adamo, a California transplant who is taking on several major building restoration projects, has made to the Western on Main building, formerly known as Crafty Fox. Endres said apartments along the top floors are completed and occupied by tenants.
Adamo also informed the group his plans of turning the main floor into an Italian style restaurant.
"With the loss of restaurants we've had lately, it was exciting to hear plans for Main Street to welcome a new restaurant. We hope it can lead to more momentum," Endres said.
Over the past year, Mitchell Main Street and Beyond leaders have looked for ways to inject art and creative culture into downtown by hosting window art contests. The artwork in the windows of the Fifth Avenue and Main Street building and several large wall murals on businesses are several examples of the wave of art that has beautified downtown.
Endres said there are plans for a sculpture installation at the Fifth Avenue and Main Street intersection.
"We are working with the new Mitchell Council of the Arts organization to continue bringing more art into the area. Eventually, we would like to have some sort of sculpture walk going all through Main Street," she said.
In addition to the building renovations, Endres said city officials provided an update on the downtown streetscape project that will bring landscape features and bump outs to a handful of Main Street intersections.
Second, Third and Fourth avenues along Main Street are among the intersections that will soon adorn landscape features and green space additions over the next few years.