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Main Street Medina held its annual meeting last night at Main Street Cafe on the Medina Square. From left are board vice-chairperson Steve Ferris, Executive Director Matt Wiederhold, board secretary Jonathan Mendel, board chairperson Carole Kowell and Jeff Siegler, of Heritage Ohio.
(Ann Norman, special to cleveland.com)
MEDINA, Ohio - Keeping it local has garnered national attention for Main Street Medina and the city's nine-block historic district.
The non-profit organization, which focuses on the development and promotion of the historic district, has once again achieved state and national accreditation as a certified National Main Street program.
And it did so by earning a near-perfect score of 99 out of 100 in a review by Jeff Siegler, director of revitalization with Heritage Ohio.
Siegler was in town yesterday to meet with Main Street Medina and city leaders to go over the review, hear committee reports and offer feedback.
Later that evening, the group's membership gathered at Main Street Cafe to hold its annual meeting and elect officers for 2016.
"Main Street Medina, in its eight years of existence, has facilitated a fundamental change in the quality of life in this community. It's a pleasure to perform the annual review and celebrate all the hard work that the board, committees and members of Main Street Medina have achieved," Siegler said.
"When other communities around the state ask us who's doing it best, we often cite Medina," he said.
Siegler pointed to the strong partnership among Main Street Medina, the city and local businesses.
"The city's commitment to this program is unprecedented," he said. "When I look at the number of projects, all of the volunteers, it's amazing the amount of resources this organization has tapped."
Main Street Medina Executive Director Matt Wiederhold pointed out some of the highlights of the past year, including 14 Main Street Medina special events and 20 others that the organization partnered on.
He estimated that the events have generated more than $1.2 million in economic impact for the city.
"What we do isn't just about having fun and prettying up the square. It's all about bringing people into the historic district," he said.
Noted in the review as achievements for the year were increased marketing of the city as a destination and the success of Castle Noel and Alien Vacation Mini Golf in bringing tour buses into Medina.
The historic district also reached 100 percent building occupancy in terms of businesses - briefly. The recent closing of the Lager & Vine restaurant on the north side of the square has left one opening.
"We were at 100 percent occupancy on the square for two days. But we will have that again. I'm sure it won't be long until we have another new restaurant on the square," Wiederhold said.
One unique project this year was the renovation of the Renew Medina house on South Court Street. Proceeds from the sale of the home have injected a little extra money into the organization's budget.
Two thousand dollars from the sale will go into the general marketing budget to promote Medina. Another $2,500 will be used to purchase additional holiday decorations for the district, Wiederhold said.
Wiederhold was pleased with the Heritage Ohio review, noting that the one area Main Street Medina needs to improve is its own fundraising activities, which help ensure the organization's financial sustainability.
"That will be our area of focus for 2016. Our goal is always to work smarter, work harder and do more. We will see what we need to do to help the fundraising committee achieve its goals," he said.
"Overall, it was an incredibly positive review," he said.
He said it is always nice to sit down and hear what each committee has been doing throughout the year.
"You think, wow, we really did all that. That's cool," he said.
Wiederhold attributes much of the group's success to its strong partnerships with the city and the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce. Together, they cultivate a business-friendly environment and a strong commitment to preserving and improving the city's quality of life, he said.
Mayor Dennis Hanwell said it is always nice to hear about the positive things the city is doing. He, too, cited the strong collaboration among the groups, businesses and resident volunteers.
"That's what makes Medina different. There's always someone in the community who has the expertise to help. And Matt is the leader to pull the volunteers together," Hanwell said.
City Council President John Coyne said the city is honored to have Main Street Medina as a part of the community.
"Without their help, I don't think we could be where we are today," he said.
Main Street Medina board officers for 2016 are Chairperson Carole Kowell, Vice Chairperson Steve Ferris, Secretary Jonathan Mendel and Treasurer John Gorsek.
Ed Wright was elected as a first-term board member. Randy Fuerst and Kowell will begin their second two-year terms.
Board appointees include Medina County Planning Director Rob Henwood, Bill Lamb from the Medina Community Design Committee, Mark Stubbendieck representing the Chamber of Commerce, and Coleen Morlock, who will fill an unexpired term through December 2017.
Ex-Officio members include Charles Calvert, Kimberly Marshall, Bernard McRae Jr. and Leslie Traves.
For more information about Main Street Medina and its goals and programs, visit www.mainstreetmedina.com.