Business View Civil & Municipal Apr-2023

123 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 its business community. With the introduction of the Montgomery Quarter, Henao sees a future for even more new businesses to take root. “Montgomery Quarter is an opportunity for us to get new corporate clients within the city that will help balance out the city’s financial future and make sure that we are sustainable for years to come,” she says. In addition to new corporate businesses, Margolis is hoping to see Montgomery Quarter expand the city’s small mom-and-pop-type shops. “That’s what makes the city so special is the small shops,” he says. “We may have two or three national chains, but most of our stores are unique. That’s what we are looking for in the Montgomery Quarter project. We want unique-to-the-region, small shops, and restaurants so that we become a destination. We’re not just cookie cutter.” Further making Montgomery a real destination is its historic downtown. Originally founded in 1795, the city’s downtown began to take shape in the early 1800s and that same look and feel still exists today. “The history of the city is our brand,” Margolis says. “It has a very nice, colonial look. It’s a very small town, so the streets are narrow, which gives us a great feel. It has some nice, cute little shops and restaurants. The idea is to create a place for people to come and visit either at night or on weekends and even bring the family there, so there are some family opportunities, too. And of course, entertainment opportunities.” In the 1970s, Montgomery’s council created a Landmarks Commission to recognize the historic buildings and help maintain them into the 21st century. “These buildings don’t have modern floor plans, so it makes them difficult to use, but we have a grant program to help owners do some remodeling and modifications,” he says. “We have guidelines on what they can do to maintain the look and feel of an 1800s downtown.” MONTGOMERY, OHIO Adding to Montgomery’s quaint charm is its plethora of park space that provides both active and passive recreation to both residents and visitors alike. “We have all kinds of playground structures and other activities for people to enjoy,” Riblet says. “We have basketball courts, tennis courts, pickleball courts, soccer is really big, and we do a really good job of blending all the active spaces with the passive spaces.