Mayor’s Message – October 2024

From its earliest days, Tremonton was recognized as the economic hub of northern Box Elder County. Those early residents and city leaders, in their wisdom, recognized Main Street as one of the most influential economic development programs the city could create. It has stood the test of time, proving its worth, dollar for dollar, pound for pound.

So, why is so much focus being placed on revitalizing our Main Street more than 100 years later, and why is downtown revitalization so important?

Mick Cornett, the former four-term mayor of Oklahoma City, says that “economic development is the result of creating places where people want to be.” Similarly, a Pittsburgh-based economic development consultant, Steve McKnight says that in today’s economy, “new investment is increasingly seeking locations based on the quality of place and lifestyle rather than the utility of location.”

Our downtown plays an important role in economic development. Large, medium, or small businesses considering starting or moving to Tremonton will judge us based on our downtown. Nearly every modern economic development project that gets shopped around the country prioritizes the same thing: workforce and talent. Workforce and talent are drawn to communities with walkable neighborhoods and vibrant downtowns.

Our Main Street Steering Committee, merchants, businesses, and citizens, for the most part, understand that a healthy and vibrant downtown is critical for our city’s future economic prospects.

For several weeks, the Main Street Steering Committee has been developing a survey to ask Tremonton and surrounding communities their opinions on taking the next step in Tremonton’s future. The survey is now available online. You can participate in the study by clicking here.

The survey explores options and possibilities for revitalizing Main Street, including murals and other works of art, sidewalks, permanent planters, wayfinding signage, lighting, store fronts, trees, and dining—all of which provide a foundation for a great downtown.

Over 100 years ago, city leaders recognized that Tremonton was quickly becoming known as one of the busiest and thriftiest communities for its size in the state. Located near the valley’s center and on a state road across the entire valley from east to west, it was a place of considerable promise for business development. Without knowing it, those leaders and businesspeople were setting forth an essential argument for economic growth: “Distinctiveness.”

As Ed McMahon, chair of Main Street America, explains, “In a global marketplace, well-educated workers, world-class infrastructure and the ability to turn ideas into commercial realities are all critically important to economic success — but the other critical, but often forgotten, element is “community distinctiveness.”

From those earliest days, time, mobility, and shifting shopping patterns have changed downtown. Still, our distinctiveness in a rapidly changing world withstands the test of time. It continues to be a realistic, cost-effective, and more durable way of improving our community. Our distinctiveness plays an essential role in helping to foster new jobs and investment. Main Street deserves to be modernized.

Please take a few moments to complete the questionnaire. Your input will be valued. It is an exciting time to be part of the next step in Tremonton’s future.