Downtown PB lights up, as it gears up for big changes

If Vine Street in downtown Poplar Bluff seems a little flashier as you drive through after dark, you’re not imagining things. A short section of the street now is brighter, thanks to nearly 165 new decorative light bulbs strung across a stretch of the brick thoroughfare near City Hall.

“It’s been huge for us because it’s something people can see,” said Downtown Poplar Bluff, Inc., Executive Director Jerrica Fox. “Overall, we’ve seen an overwhelmingly positive response.”

The new lights, Fox noted, actually are commonplace in small downtowns across the country, and the idea to bring them here was initiated by Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce President Steve Halter.

Downtown Poplar Bluff Inc.

“Steve came to me and said ‘I really want to do lights. Other downtowns have these lights. Why don’t we have them,’” Fox said.

A plan was developed to acquire the lights, she said, but “we had no idea originally how expensive it would be.”

The original idea, Fox said, was to string several spans of lights across Vine Street’s busiest area using eye hooks attached to existing buildings, but those plans were shot down by fire department and Municipal Utilities inspectors who deemed the bricks and grout of the existing buildings too old and potentially unsafe.

Instead, Smith & Company’s Billy Cobb got involved and came up with some renderings for the installation of five new poles.

The 25-foot long poles, Fox said, cost nearly $11,000, something she hadn’t planned for.

“How are we going to pay for this,” she questioned. “We thought we were going to buy a thousand dollars worth of lights, put them up and there we go ...”

The solution she found was reaching out to Walmart, which offers community grants.

“I applied for the maximum at the Supercenter and more at the Neighborhood Market,” Fox said, “and we received both.”

The grants totaled $8,000, she said.

With funds from an existing beautification account thrown in and money raised at the recent Barbecue Street Wars, Downtown Poplar Bluff, Inc., was able to purchase the poles and lights.

Municipal Utilities and Smith & Company donated their expertise and time to complete the project, Fox said.

“We started there because it was the shortest stretch to get up and we wanted to get people seeing that we are doing things daily to make progress,” Fox said.

With four spans of lights now in place, future plans include adding more, Fox said.

“The next area for lights will be on the adjacent block, near McNeely’s Shoes, Foxtrot Coffee, Hays Music Store and Haffy’s,” she said.

The idea, according to Fox, is to work on a small area at a time, eventually spreading to other areas of downtown.

“We feel like if we get a lot in one area, it’s more likely to succeed than a bunch scattered everywhere,” she said. “But we don’t want people to think Main Street is not a priority because it is.

“The first thing on the list is to complete Vine Street, then Main and then Broadway.”

Currently, Fox noted, she’s waiting to hear about potentially $450,000 grant funding from the Missouri Department of Economic Development for the project.

“We should know this month if we received the facade grant for Vine Street,” she said. “That will help bury the power lines and do some landscaping and new sidewalks.”

Without that work being done, installation of new light poles must be delayed.

In the meantime, Fox said, she’s seen an increase in interest from residents and business owners alike about the downtown area’s revitalization.

“To be honest, I’ve received a lot more phone calls and outreach since the lights went in from people who are interested in helping our organization,” she said.