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The heart of a vibrant small town is its city center. For Monmouth, that heart is our Public Square and the blocks that surround it, with the circular Central Park at the epicenter. Ask anyone to form a picture of Monmouth in their mind, and it will be the downtown they visualize - the roundabout, the Central Park fountain, the red stone county courthouse and the historic buildings. Since the foundation of Monmouth in 1831, to the present day - and well into our desired future, Public Square and downtown Monmouth reflect who we are as a community.
To strengthen our community - culturally and economically - we propose a strategic plan to define and guide our actions in the coming years to revitalize our historic downtown. This plan does not emerge out of a vacuum - rather, it is the natural outcome of the recommendations laid out in the City’s 2007 Comprehensive Plan, informed by our current and future economic conditions and aspirations, the need and desire to create a strong downtown-college link between the City and Monmouth College, the cultural-enhancement principles of creative placemaking, as well as the desire to forge a diverse, invigorated, creative and sustainable center for our community.
“Monmouth More then Ever,” the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Monmouth, prepared by the Western Illinois Regional Council, was adopted by the City Council in 2007. This plan was the result of a multi-year process of research and community engagement and lays out a road-map that informs the day to day decision making of the City government. Numerous aspects of this plan, from Economic Development to Aesthetics and Beautification to Historic Preservation deal directly with downtown Monmouth and serve as the bedrock foundation of this strategic plan.
“Creative Placemaking,” by Ann Markusen and Anne Gadwa, is a research-based study (prepared for the Mayor’s Council on City Design by the National Endowment for the Arts) which explores how arts, culture and creativity can serve as a unifying force (and strategy) that can greatly enhance the economic development and livability of a community. In order for a revitalization plan to be successful, a community must be honest about its strengths and weaknesses. For downtown Monmouth revitalization, one of our greatest weaknesses is our geography - we are not blessed with the attractive natural resources that can serve as a magnet for tourism and commerce. Where we have strength is in our historic infrastructure and our cultural and artistic core (Buchanan Center, Monmouth College and the Warren County Public Library). Based on our assets, a culture and art-based approach to downtown revitalization, guided by the principles outlined in “Creative Placemaking” is a sound strategy.
The Implementation Strategies that make up the heart of this strategic plan below grew out of our Comprehensive Plan, and were informed by the concepts outlined in “Creative Placemaking” and are aligned by a set of core principles that address the unique aspects of our community and economic times.
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