Revitalizing Main Street: Valentine's largest infrastructure project in the city's history
VALENTINE, Neb. - Across the nation, cities of all sizes are reinvesting in their downtowns. In the 1960s and 70s, it seemed otherwise as people headed to the suburbs and businesses relocated, but now there’s a push to revitalize the heart of towns. That includes Valentine, where the city recently finished a multi-million dollar project.
From Taylor Swift-inspired clothes to a little country flare, Whitney Mayhew tries to offer a little bit of everything at Broken Spoke Boutique in downtown Valentine.
“We’re always trying to look for what is the next thing that you can do to continue to grow,” Mayhew said.
In today’s digital age, that involves creating an experience that will get people off their phones and into the store. Mayhew considers everything from the music to the smell and the decor.
“When you come into Broken Spoke, I want you to get a feel of who I am as a person,” Mayhew said. "I want you to feel welcomed. I want you to feel comfortable. That’s how we have things reflected with our decor, with our style in here."
That atmosphere is also what city leaders have been working on outside. Valentine recently finished a multi-million dollar downtown renovation project.
“This was the single largest infrastructure investment in the history of Valentine,” Mayor Kyle Arganbright said.
The project included new landscaping, art, and a brand new Main Street.
“This was the second oldest concrete in the state highway system, so we knew that it needed done, but underneath that concrete was a lot of infrastructure that we needed to replace at the same time,” Arganbright said. "Then we took the opportunity to really enhance Main Street through some streetscape investments."
In addition to street improvements and new landscaping, the city also has a new light system that includes safety features.
“A Main Street has to be safe first and foremost,” Arganbright said. "The State wanted to make sure there were bump-outs to make it easier to cross the street, and we looked at every other safety enhancement that we could."
Arganbright said the project is already starting to pay off. He's seeing more interest now in revitalizing downtown than he has over the past decade.
“I view our city’s job as creating a place that people want to be and a place that people want to invest,” Arganbright said. "These types of investments are critical for that purpose."
New projects that Mayhew hopes will bring new customers into her store.
“With new opportunities coming up, it’s going to allow more people to continue to shop on Main Street, which is what we want,” Mayhew said.