By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                Williston’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) plans to start its Wayfinding Sign Program in April to give businesses in the district a higher profile.

            CRA Chairman Nick Williams unveiled the program at the most recent city council meeting.

            The Wayfinding Sign Program provides poles and signs that direct visitors to the businesses. It is open to organizations and businesses within the CRA District.

            Williams said the signs will be maintained by CRA. The name and logo will be displayed on the sign. An optional directional arrow may be printed on the sign.

            The signs will be printed and supplied by CRA for a one-time fee of $295, which includes two blades and installation. A yearly maintenance fee of $120, which amounts to $10 per month will be charged. The maintenance fee covers cleaning or replacement of damaged signs.

            “This is, I think, good advertising for individual businesses but it’s good marketing for the city,” Williams said.

            He added that a person just driving through town may not have noticed an art gallery, a fitness center, an ice cream shop, coffee shops, and the Ivy House Restaurant.

            “There are a lot of examples where you simply would not notice those things,” he said.

            The sign held by Williams at the city council meeting advertised City Hall, which happens to be part of the CRA district. The new City Hall and Heritage Park are two of the gems that can be seen in the district.

            The new statue of Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure stands on one end of Heritage Park. The statue was dedicated on March 23.

            Foolish Pleasure was the winner of the 1975 Kentucky Derby. He was bred at Waldemar Farms near Williston and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1995.

            Heritage Park is home to a classy pavilion and a Veterans Memorial which is arguably the most beautiful in the region. The pavilion, Veterans Memorial, and a wide, lighted sidewalk in the park were built with CRA funds.

            The CRA was created to revitalize and redevelop the city’s old business district and connecting properties. One of the most challenging projects has been to bring Block 12 back to life.

            Block 12 is next door to Heritage Park and City Hall. Many of the businesses are closed. It was once a thriving business center in Williston. The widening of U.S. 27 to four lanes and the resulting loss of angular on-street parking contributed to the demise of the businesses in Block 12.

            Williams said work is in progress on the parking lot and Arcade in Block 12.

            “We’ve had some delay due to permitting from the water management district having to start over due to permits having expired,” Williams said. “It gives you some idea of how long work has gone on and been delayed.”

            Williams said CRA is funding a new sidewalk to extend to the city-owned parking lot at the back of Block 12.

            The city two years ago created a program to offer owners of buildings in Block 12 an opportunity to participate in creating new storefronts for their buildings, but the program apparently hasn’t spawned a rush to add new façades.

            Few cities have spent as much effort as Williston in trying to revitalize and redevelop their old business district. There have been many successes in the CRA district. Heritage Park and the adjoining City Hall property and Walgreens lie within the CRA district.

            Block 12 remains the biggest issue in the redevelopment process. Customer parking is central to bringing businesses back to the area. Williams said identifying existing parking lots and parking areas is an extremely important part of the redevelopment process.

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City of Williston Regular Meeting March 22, 2022; Posted April 2, 2022