Downtown Assessment Press release June 21, 2022:
Rethos: Places Reimagined
Emily Kurash Casey
Community Programs Director
164 E Third Street
Winona, MN 55987
507-205-2335
emily@rethos.org
Kasson announces visit from Rethos for Downtown Assessment community engagement visits.
Kasson is pleased to announce that they are one of three recipients of a Downtown Assessment, a program that helps to identify community assets and revitalization activities for historic downtown districts. These Assessments are facilitated by Rethos, a nonprofit organization working nationwide for the use of old buildings and sites and the statewide coordinating entity for the Main Street Program in Minnesota, and sponsored by a grant from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation.
A Downtown Assessment is a comprehensive study of the places and people that are part of your downtown district today. It lists and categorizes the assets your community already has (businesses, buildings, public spaces, people, organizations, events, and more) to create strategies you can implement in your community to start building short- and long-term community vitality. By tapping into local knowledge, Rethos staff works with a local leadership team to uncover your community’s distinct assets, develop your strengths, and promote your competitive edge. Rethos spends time in your community talking to groups and individuals about their experiences, expertise, and hopes for downtown and uses virtual tools to get feedback. Ultimately, a Downtown Assessment helps you develop a plan to change the way people think about, talk about, plan for, and use your downtown district.
Staff from Rethos visited your community on June 7th, 8th, and 9th. They conducted some specific focus groups meetings, but also stopped by places of business, community events, and connecting with the community at-large.
In addition to the in-person visit, we would also like to announce virtual engagement option via a survey. The survey is currently active and can be accessed at the link below:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KassonDT2022
For more information about the Downtown Assessment, contact Kathy O’Malley at realtorkathyo@aol.com
About Rethos: Rethos: Places Reimagined we are committed to changing the narrative on our aging building infrastructure by promoting and supporting creative building reuse. We believe that communities, businesses, and homeowners are best served when they are empowered to maximize their existing assets. Through a variety of programs that work on the local and state level, Rethos provides support and guidance to re-envision what aging buildings and spaces can be. Our three robust program areas work at the intersection of what is past and what is possible to foster economic growth, improve housing