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Mooresville redevelopment commission outlines downtown support as Main Street construction begins
Summary
Commissioners and staff described tree removal and planting timelines for the Main Street project and reported a coordinated push with downtown merchants for marketing, a 'passport' promotion, sponsorships and interactive parking tools to keep customers coming during construction.
The Mooresville Redevelopment Commission on March 5 heard a status report on the Main Street reconstruction and a summary of merchant-led strategies to sustain business during construction.
Chelsea, a town staff member, told the commission that Phase 1A of construction is underway and that tree removal across the entire project must be completed by March 31 because of seasonal protections tied to Indiana bat activity. She said final tree selection will depend on nursery stock availability and that the design uses a mix of canopy and understory species to provide year-round visual interest.
The update shifted to merchant outreach. Chelsea and commissioners reported a well-attended downtown merchants meeting where business owners proposed a customer 'passport' — shoppers collect stamps from participating downtown businesses to enter weekly prize drawings — plus street fairs, coordinated marketing, and signage to reassure drivers that stores are open during work. "So far so good. Although if it could stop raining I think that would probably help everything," Chelsea said of construction progress and merchant outreach.
Staff said the Moresville Chamber has requested that remaining COVID-era community foundation funds — previously set aside for a local 'love local' campaign — be made available to seed the downtown effort. Visit Morgan County offered marketing support and possible grant help. Citizens Bank volunteered to serve as a main sponsor for street-fair booth fees and seed a downtown promotional fund.
To address merchant concerns about customer access, Rachel Katsman of TSW provided sandwich-board graphics reading "Yes, we're open" and showing nearby parking. Banning (the engineering/contractor team on the project) is developing an interactive parking map merchants can link from their websites so shoppers can locate nearest parking during closures and detours.
Commissioners emphasized continued, open communication with businesses and identified Mike McCra of Banning as the on-site construction observation lead and the first point of contact for merchant and resident concerns during construction. Office hours and regular updates remain in place.
The commission did not take action on policy changes at the March 5 meeting; the discussion centered on implementation, communications and funding/support options for affected merchants. The commission reiterated it will continue to monitor nursery stock availability and construction impacts as work proceeds.
