the city spent around $9 million revitalizing the downtown area, but that figure has since grown.“To date, we’ve probably spent somewhere around $13.5 million downtown,” the mayor adds. STRATEGIC GROWTH AND FUTURE PLANNING As Winchester continues to grow, city leaders are focused on ensuring that this expansion happens thoughtfully and in line with a vision for the future. of the store they wanted to visit,” he says.“There were many struggles attempting to revitalize downtown, but it’s really coming to fruition now. The financial commitment to the project has been substantial. Mayor Crabtree highlights the bold moves Winchester had to make early on.“When we got word that we received the grant and formed the downtown group, we went out on a limb and borrowed against future earnings,” he says. Initially, Photo Credit: Yvonne Stewart 312 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 11
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