Business View Civil and Municipal | January 2021

109 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL JANUARY 2021 like the hustle and bustle of the big city to also have that quiet, family-oriented atmosphere that Lebanon provides, yet still having the quick access.” After several years on the sidelines during the “big box” era, Lebanon’s downtown is surging back to life. Lebanon being the county seat of Boone County, its town square was traditionally occupied by the court house and related businesses (title companies, lawyers’ offices, etc.) – those have since given way to new restaurants, a brewery, a small batch distillery, a butcher shop, and many other unique opportunities. The authentic experience that comes with a historic downtown. Lebanon Mayor Matt Gentry reports, “When I came in as Mayor, we’d done downtown revitalization studies in the past but none had come to fruition. In my previous experience working around the state, I saw that successful communities had a strong, vibrant downtown. So that was step one in my first term, realizing that downtown investment would have a ripple effect outside of the core area. We started by replacing the underground infrastructure (watermains, etc.) that was at least 75 years old, and tried to create a place that would serve as the heart of our community. We’re a county seat city with a big, beautiful County Court House in the middle of our town square. And when things happen in our community, both good and bad, the downtown square is a social gathering point. We wanted to emphasize that – a pedestrian- friendly, welcoming center for community events. At Christmas it looks like a Hallmark movie down there, so it’s worked well.” He adds, “Kimley-Horn have been phenomenal, right from the early steps of the downtown project in 2016. They worked with us on the process of creating a uniquely ‘Lebanon’ downtown core. To any community looking to revamp their downtown, I can’t think of a better firm to help achieve their goals.” In terms of business growth, Lebanon has seen LEBANON, INDI ANA