Prescott council unveils downtown revitalization kickoff set for April 2

Prescott will hold a kickoff meeting on April 2 to launch a three-part downtown revitalization program, town staff announced at the council meeting. The initiative aims to recruit investors, rehabilitate or replace vacant commercial buildings and coordinate beautification and merchant support to spur new businesses.

Town staff told the council the plan’s three legs are: (1) working with current building owners to clean, sell or redevelop empty storefronts so new businesses can move in; (2) city-led beautification projects to improve public spaces and facades; and (3) chamber-led efforts to help existing merchants grow. The staff presentation said the team visited Glenwood to study a model in which local couples and investors rehabilitated buildings to keep businesses in small towns.

Mayor Hers and staff said Julie, a town staffer who has compiled commercial ownership records, will coordinate property outreach and investor contacts. Staff said guest speakers from other towns who have run similar programs will appear at the kickoff to outline successes and challenges.

At the meeting staff used a blunt slogan to underline urgency: “revitalize or die,” and urged council members to help prioritize initial projects rather than attempt an all-at-once rebuild. The presenter emphasized that the program will proceed in phases, focusing on a small number of achievable projects first.

The council packet referenced progress on code-enforcement work for the town’s worst houses and neighborhoods and invited members to attend the kickoff at Karen Ward’s venue to help set priorities. Staff also said the chamber will assist with merchant outreach and promotional efforts.

The next procedural step is the April 2 kickoff meeting, where staff will present specific initial projects and request further direction or budget requests from the council.