HURON In May 2024, signs went up and road crews began work on a state project for Highway 37, commonly known as Dakota Avenue as it runs through Huron. The project included work in three phases along Dakota, with the first phase being from Third St. N. to Market St., the second phase from Market St. to Fifth St. S., and the third phase from Fifth St. S. to Ninth St. S.
It was the second phase of that project that began last May, after multiple years and dozens of meetings, surveys, and conversations about the project with the state, city, and Huron residents. That second phase went through Hurons historic downtown area. Seeing the opportunity to impact the future of the downtown area for years to come, the Huron City Commission worked with interested community members to redesign the downtown stretch alongside the construction.
Last summer, the downtown stretch of Dakota Ave. was shut down, with dirt taking over the area as crews worked feverishly underground and then on the surfacing. Now, as Dakota Ave. is opened through the downtown area, a group of excited Huron community members has put together a gathering to celebrate the removal of that dirt and the revitalization of Downtown Huron, called Dusting Off Dakota, to take place on Thursday, July 3.
Heather Burns, one of the leaders of that group, expressed that as plans were being made on how to re-open Dakota, she thought, A ribbon-cutting is goodbut it doesnt seem like enough.
We wanted to celebrate all that has been accomplished, Jeff Pownell stated. With so much happening so quickly, we thought we could culminate everything and celebrate all of the good that started to happen downtown.
The event will begin at 4:30 p.m. with a dedication ceremony at Campbell Park, and the day will close with a street dance, giving Huron residents a full evening of activities that will incorporate all of the businesses along the downtown corridor.
The dedication ceremony will include a speech, a performance from the city band as well as the Huron High School string quartet and choir, and historic information. Then attendees can hop on a trolley down Dakota to a ribbon cutting at 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Dakota Ave. S. and Third St.
That will kick off the evenings events, with food vendors, a classic car show and shine, a motorcycle show and shine, historic clips and popcorn at the theater, bouncy houses, balloons, face painting, and music throughout the night.
At 6 p.m., a pet parade will commence, allowing owners to dress up their pets in a stars and stripes theme and parade from Campbell Park up Dakota Ave. to Second St. and then west on Second St. to Henny Penny Pet Corner on Wisconsin Ave. A patriotic sing-along will also take place at the Centennial Stone Church on Fourth St., beginning at 6 p.m.
A ping pong ball drop, including deals and prizes from a host of downtown businesses, will take place at 7 p.m.
Finally, the day ends with a street dance accompanied by the music of Serious Shirley.
However, when the band packs up for the night, that wont be the end of the focus on downtown improvement.
Theres so much good energy around downtown right now, Pownell shared. We dont want to waste it.
As part of that, downtown businesses have been spruced up lately through cleaning and painting of storefronts and new signs for businesses and streets.
The sharper look allows downtown buildings to be more attractive and eye-catching, but Pownell noted that transforming downtown in recent years began before the Dakota Ave. project even began.
The goal of this event is to really be family-focused, and thats something that has been a push with the events we are doing downtown, he said. That really began with the trunk or treat with downtown businesses, and now with this, we want kids that are coming to have memories of the ping pong drop or pet parade or other events that are similar to the old folks memories of downtown in years past.
Ted Haeder of Greater Huron Development Corporation discussed some of the work that was done before construction on the road took place.
The focus on downtown really goes back to the first Huron Rising, where one of the major focuses was downtown revitalizing, Haeder explained. The community told us that was important, so we put our focus on working on downtown.
Some of that investment included a facade grant to improve frontage for downtown businesses that was spun off from financial support originally raised during the COVID-19 pandemic. As construction neared, Greater Huron stepped forward with loans for downtown business owners who were faced with a very quick decision on updating water and sewer infrastructure.
Hurons downtown has shifted into a major asset for the community, Haeder added.
Pownell concluded, Even though this is a kick-off event, this is a long-term thing. The decisions made for downtown should have a long-term impact on the city, and its not just superficial.
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