A big donation to help rebuild downtown Beatrice

Posted By: Pierce Georlett

pgeorlett@klkntv.com 

This morning the downtown Beatrice group got a much needed donation to help energize the downtown area in Beatrice.

The Main Street Beatrice group got a $4,350 donation from Beatrice Ford Lincoln to help improve the city’s downtown area.

"it’s a great organization this is either the 3rd or 4th year we’ve done this and every year it just gets bigger and bigger," said Janna Stohs the Community Outreach Coordinator for Beatrice Ford Lincoln. 

This money will be used for a larger project to help remodel businesses and the roads in the downtown district of Beatrice.

"we’re expecting to see some buildings that are more ecstatic and just being able to support the business that are here but at the same time making our downtown that much more attractive and hopefully seeing new businesses developing in our downtown and more people being able to enjoy what our downtown has to offer," said Michael Sothan the Executive Director for Main Street Beatrice. 

What this project does for local businesses like Brown’s shoe is monumental.

"It’s a cool thing for my business because it just brings more energy to our downtown and kinda helps people understand all that we’ve doing for our downtown," said Trevor Chadwick the Owner of Brown’s shoe store. 

He’s owned Brown’s shoe store for six years, and he has seen how little changes that have already happened help the city.

"Thing about our downtown know compared to how it was is the fact that a lot more businesses we’re closed and empty and new we’re kinda sprucing up and people actually want to come into our downtown and we’re making it more of a destination," says Chadwick. 

With this donation and with the new initiative to change downtown Beatrice, Trevor is hopeful for the future of not only his business but for the town.

"Eventually on a Monday through Friday in the evenings families walking around the downtown just aimlessly so that’s what’s exciting about it and just to create that old fashion downtown that we’ve always wanted," added Chadwick. 

Now the hope is that donations like this can help re invent the downtown area here in Beatrice