The Laramie Main Street Program’s director, as the organization’s sole paid staff person, plays a key role in what Main Street can get accomplished. Our director coordinates the work of 45 volunteers, manages all administrative aspects of our program, and serves as the point of contact for the organization.

Because of the work of Jane Daniels and of Cara Griffin, we’ve gotten a lot done in our first three years. Cara Griffin has recently submitted her resignation, effective at the end of December.

We are now looking for a new director – someone who will be able to pick up right where Cara left off. We have begun considering options for an interim staff person, if necessary, to ensure that we give ourselves time to find the right match for the position while continuing to press ahead with our projects.

As always, leadership of the program still resides with the Board and we will continue to set the program’s course. While staff turnover can be a challenge for any organization, challenges can also present opportunities for growth. I am confident that this will be an opportunity to reexamine and reaffirm the program’s direction and the dedication of our volunteer Board and Committee members.

Jerry Schmidt
Board Chair

[Posted 2008-11-20]

On Thursday, November 20th at 7pm, the City Council will hold a work session and special Council meeting on demolition plans for the Fox Theater building. The meeting will be held in the City Council chambers in City Hall.

Working from the recommendations of the building assessment that Main Street commissioned earlier this year, the City has undertaken a demolition plan for the Fox Theater. The meeting tomorrow night will begin with a presentation by the consultants working on the demolition plan; they will present alternative ways of taking the building down safely. I believe there will also be discussion of the impact on traffic in the immediate area as well as discussion of an application for funding the demolition.

Following the work session, the City Council will go into executive session to discuss in private negotiation and litigation. The Council will then come out of executive session to make a motion on how to proceed. This special work session and Council meeting was scheduled during last night’s Council meeting.

[Posted 2008-11-20]

The Laramie Main Street Program wishes to congratulate Laramie on being named as a "Preserve America" community. This national honor is a White House initiative that recognizes communities that protect and celebrate their heritage, use their historic assests for economic development and community revitilization, and encourage people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education and heritage tourism programs.

On November 5, 2008 First Lady Laura Bush, honorary chair of Preserve America, sent a letter of designation to Mayor Hanson. We here at Laramie Main Street wish to thank all who worked so diligently to make this designation possible. We would also like to send a heartfelt congratulations to the entire town of Laramie. The accolades continue to add up for the "gem city of the plains"!

[Posted 2008-11-18]

The Wyoming State Historical Society is sponsoring a one-day Historic Preservation Summit on December 5th, 2008 at the University of Wyoming's Cooperative Extension Building, 2011 Fairgrounds Road in Casper.

Summit attendes will develop an action plan to follow up on the challenges identified at the three-day historic preservation conference held last May and the comprehensive statewide historic preservation plan adopted in 2007. Several challenges outlined in "On the Road to Preservation: Wyoming's Comprehensive Historic Preservation Plan 2007-2015" will be the starting point for developing goals and strategies. The goal of the conference is finding ways for Wyoming communities to balance preservation and growth so that our communities can utilize, appreciate, and protect historic resources while strengthening our existing organizations and increasing public awareness.

Please make plans to attend this important discussion. The meeting will be facilitated and structured, so an action plan will be the outcome of the day. Registration is $15 and includes lunch. Please RSVP by November 20th to (307)777-7566 or (307)322-4237. Be sure to attend if at all possible so that Laramie is well represented at this meeting.

[Posted 2008-11-18]

The Downtown Laramie Business Association is holding its annual Downtown Christmas Parade on December 6th at 6pm. Be sure to bring the whole family down on this day to enjoy the festivities. The Downtown Christmas Tree Lighting will take place on December 6th at 5:30, to be followed immediately by the parade.

Bring your little ones downtown on Dec 6th as well to get their pictures taken with Santa Claus from 3:30-5:30pm and on December 13th from 10am-12pm. Location for the photos has yet to be determined, stay tuned for more information regarding holiday events as the holiday season continues to draw near.

[Posted 2008-11-11]

Laramie Main Street and the Downtown Laramie Business Association proudly present the 3rd Annual Downtown Holiday Window Display Contest. All downtown Laramie businesses should be sure to deck the halls and jazz up their window displays for the season.

The contest will transpire at dusk on December 5th, where a panel of non-partisan prominent community members will judge the windows based on the following criteria: best overall, originality, nighttime display, creative use of merchandise, design, and most welcoming. Winners in all categories will receive a gift and mention in the DLBA and LMSP websites and newsletters, as well as mention through many local news outlets.

All members of the community are invited to come downtown and view the tremendous efforts of our local downtown businesses as they help put you in the holiday spirit.

For any questions regarding this event, please contact Nicholas at Laramie Main Street at 742-2212.

[Posted 2008-11-11]

The plans for the Downtown Community Plaza continue to move forward smoothly. Russell Mills Studios, the landscape architectural firm designing the plaza, presented the final plan for the plaza at both a special LMSP Board Meeting and a City Council work session on Oct 28th. Both the Board and the City Council were in favor of the proposed plan for the Plaza. A final copy of the design plan will be posted on our website soon, please check it out when it has been posted.

Laramie Main Street would like to thank all who let their voice be heard at the various community meetings regarding the Plaza. The design has taken many of the ideas presented at these meetings, helping make the future plaza truly a community gathering place. Plans are set to begin breaking ground on the Plaza next spring!

[Posted 2008-11-11]

The Laramie Main Street Executive Committee is hosting a volunteer apprecation event on Nov. 14th as a thank you to all the many voluntees that helped make our program successful over the past year. Keep your eyes open for an email invitation if you have volunteered for us during the past year.

This should be a wonderful event, one where we are able to thank all the many people who make our organization run smoothly. If you have volunteered over the past year and have not received an invitation, please feel free to call us here at Laramie Main Street at 742-2212 for more information.

[Posted 2008-11-11]

Laramie Main Street has invited Betsy Bradly, a historic preservation specialist with the State Historic Preservation Office, to Laramie on August 27th. Betsy will be leading a tour and discussion of Downtown Laramie architecture that morning during the Downtown Laramie Business Association's regular meeting. All DLBA members are highly encouraged to come to this meeting.

If you would like to schedule a time that day for her to visit your building and talk with you about the architecture, please contact Laramie Main Street at 742-2212 or mainstreet@laramiewy.org.

[Posted 2008-08-25]

Brochures for a new and expanded downtown walking tour can be picked up at Laramie Main Street's office (313 S. 2nd, Ste. B) or Albany County Tourism Board office (2nd and Custer).

Produced in conjunction with Albany County Tourism Board and Albany County Historic Preservation Board (with funding from Albany County Tourism Board and State Historic Preservation Office), this brochure is one of a set of seven guides designed to help people get to know Albany County. If you are a business owner who would like multiple copies to give to your customers, please contact us or stop by our office and we will get copies to you. If you would like to view the brochure in PDF format, you can find it on our website here.

[Posted 2008-08-19]

Laramie Main Street is working with the Laramie Boomerang to publish a monthly column about topics of interest to the community related to our work. This month, the column details our current projects and initiatives. In the future, look for more columns written by the director and volunteers covering a wide range of topics. To read this month's column, click here.

[Posted 2008-08-18]

John Kearney's "Alligator" sculpture has been placed on the lawn of the City Annex at 4th & Grand as part of the ongoing Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational event. Made of car bumpers, the sculpture was gifted to the Art Museum in 1974 and has not been exhibited outside of the museum for 16 years. Another sculpture, Robert Russin's "First Steps," was installed in Undine park.

To learn more about the artists, their work, and the exhibition itself, read the Museum's blog. This project is being funded in part by a Wyoming Art's Council Community Arts Partners Grant, of which Main Street is a partner.

[Posted 2008-08-18]

Laramie Main Street contracted with an architectural firm to assess the state of the Fox Theater building. The report recommends abating and deconstructing the Fox Theater as soon as feasibly possible.

The consultant team was led by SlaterPaull Architects, an architectural firm that specializes in historic preservation. The team also included JVA Engineers, a structural engineering firm, and RLH Engineers, an environmental engineering firm. Main Street selected this team for their expertise in historic building projects.

The team presented their findings to the city council on Tuesday June 24th at a city council work session open to the public. Main Street and city staff also shared these findings with property and business owners and residents in the area immediately surrounding the Fox.

The city is now working to find ways to fund and implement the report's findings. To learn more about the report's findings, check out the summary report here.

[Posted 2008-07-21]

The Farmer's Market is happening every Friday in Downtown Laramie, but the rising cost of fuel affects everyone who comes from out of town - especially the vendors in the market.

Because of this, the Wyoming Business Council (WBC) has created the Farmers' Market Fuel Reimbursement Grant to help Wyoming producers offset transportation costs associated with participating in the state's numerous farmers' markets.

Producers travelling 60 miles or more one way can be awarded up to half the federal mileage rate to a maximum of $1,000 per year. Visit the WBC's website for more information. To request an application, call Kim Porter at (307) 777-6319 or email her at kim.porter@wybusiness.org.

[Posted 2008-07-21]

Revisions to the regulations on development in Downtown Laramie are being considered.

Currently, Downtown Laramie development is regulated with the same regulations (originally written in the 1960s) that govern development out along east Grand and other commercial districts in town. Revising these regulations for Downtown is meant to make it easier to develop in keeping with Downtown's current historic and pedestrian-friendly character, and harder to develop in a more suburban form that would detract from that character and history. If revised regulations are adopted, current uses and buildings would be grandfathered in.

The city's Community Development Department presented an early draft of the revised regulations at the Railroad Depot on July 2, as well as at that week's Downtown Laramie Business Association (DLBA) meeting.

This revision of the downtown zoning is part of a larger project to update the entire city's zoning code; this is meant to implement the city's Comprehensive Plan, adopted last summer.

You can find more information on the update and links to current and draft revisions on the city's website by clicking here.

[Posted 2008-07-21]

Laramie Main Street has posted a list of local engineering, construction and restoration firms on our website in order to provide a resource for property owners downtown. The list is available for download here (147K PDF). This document will be permanently posted in our resources section. For more information, please contact Laramie Main Street at 742-2212.

[Posted 2008-06-02]