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Hotel hopes
Published 9/2/2010 in Commentary : Editorial
In a difficult economy, efforts to lure economic development dollars become more important than ever.
Tough times make it essential to commit to projects that spur growth. Sitting back and doing nothing, on the other hand, only leads to erosion.
Count supporters of a renovated Windsor Hotel among those doing all they can to bring one economic development project to life. As part of that, a unique opportunity involves encouraging people to go online to vote in favor of the historic property in downtown Garden City.
Representatives of the Finney County Preservation Alliance — the nonprofit organization that owns the Windsor building — have been pitching participation in a National Trust for Historic Preservation online contest offering a $25,000 prize to the community project with the most votes.
The National Trust launched This Place Matters, a community challenge featuring projects nationwide in need of funding. The online map shows an amazing array of planned restorations of hotels, theaters and other historic properties.
So far, the Windsor has received enough votes to place it near the top third of 86 eligible projects.
That's not bad, and cause for more residents who understand how a revitalized Windsor could serve as a catalyst for downtown growth to go online and support the Windsor.
Of course, the $25,000 prize wouldn't be a huge difference-maker in spurring revitalization.
It could, however, help spruce up the property. While nothing has been decided should the Windsor win the contest, one nice idea for the funding would be restoring the cupola, which once had a flag pole on top.
With about two weeks left in the contest, there's still time to vote for downtown Garden City's historic landmark. To participate, go to preservationnation.org and click on This Place Matters.
Funding for such economic development projects can come in a variety of ways, from private contributions to a myriad of governmental programs and grants.
Consider the online contest one of the more unique approaches to doling out funds for a good cause. Anyone interested in a Windsor success story should show their support with a few simple clicks.
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