Director says money is well-spent

May 21, 2009 07:32 am

— DANVILLE — Whether the Senate’s passing of budget Bill 850 is meant only to make a statement about the need to balance the state budget will be determined by the version of the bill the House passes, said James D. Wilson, executive director and Main Street manager for the Danville Business Alliance.
House Bill 1416 has been introduced and referred to the House Appropriations Committee, Wilson said, and as drafted, it would appropriate $15 million for New Communities Programs. If the House chooses to adopt the Senate’s version, funding for Main Street programs would cease June 30.
“The efforts of community development organizations like DBA to collaborate with local governments, major area employers and local merchant communities to revitalize their economies and enhance the quality of life for those who work, live and travel through their localities would become much more difficult, if not end entirely,” Wilson said. “Such efforts are difficult to sustain even in good economic times with strong community support, which is why the state’s involvement is critical.”
Wilson reports that in 2008, Main Street programs helped to create 787 businesses, 1,170 full-time equivalent jobs, 366 building improvement and construction projects and 135 public-space improvements and filled 274 vacant storefronts. Additionally, from the roughly $6 million invested by the state through the New Communities Program, roughly $59 million was invested by the private sector.
“In the long run, it generates increased business activity,” he said. “Every dollar spent downtown causes a ripple effect through other downtown merchants, suppliers and vendors.”