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Following recent announcements of a downtown property changing hands and eyed for significant restoration work, and the hiring of a full-time Main Street manager, local newspaper editor Steve Garbacz penned an opinion piece about the transformation of downtown Kendallville. The column appeared in the December 21, 2021 edition of the News Sun, a KPC Media publication.

It has been announced that Kristen Johnson accepted the role of Main Street manager for Experience the Heart of Kendallville (EHK). She will begin her new role on January 10, 2023. Johnson has served as Executive Director of the Kendallville Area Chamber of Commerce since June 2019. She has also served as president of the Board for EHK for the past two years and has been heavily involved in managing the day-to-day activities for EHK while in her role at the Chamber. EHK has been growing and evolving over the past two years and the board felt it was time to hire a full-time manager to oversee the many projects that are ongoing, according to a press release. “I have truly enjoyed my time at the Chamber and the many relationships I have developed with businesses and community members. I am also extremely excited to be moving into this new role with the city and look forward to the work ahead," said Johnson about the announcement. EHK is an accredited Indiana Main Street organization. The group was recently awarded a $2M grant from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs for preservation work within the downtown over the next two years. One requirement of the grant is that the organization become nationally accredited. One of the criteria for national accreditation is having a full-time Main Street manager on staff. Both the City of Kendallville and the Kendallville Redevelopment Commission provided funds to support the new position. In addition, as part of the $2M PreservINg Main Street grant, EHK is required to raise $200,000 (a 10% grant match) over the next two years, half of which will be placed in the organization’s general fund for capacity building. The other half will be held in a non-permanent fund at the Community Foundation of Noble County. Tara Streb, an EHK board member, led a committee through the hiring process to fill the position. "Kristen brings years of experience working with the downtown and has been an integral part of the growth of our Main Street organization, Experience the Heart of Kendallville. Her knowledge of downtown economic development, historic preservation and promotion, along with the relationships she's built within the community are what I believe makes Kristen the perfect candidate for this position," Streb explained. "We are excited to have her in this key role as Kendallville's Main Street Manager," Mayor SuzAnne Handshoe added, "How excited we are to welcome the new Director. I know she has a passion for our Main Street and will serve us all well! I am anxious to see progression under her leadership!”

The Strand Theatre on Main Street will feature a free showing of Sing 2, an animated feature with a can-do koala, Buster Moon, and his all-star cast of animal performers! FREE SHOWING: Thursday, Dec. 23 2:00 PM Come together to watch the animals as they prepare to launch a dazzling stage extravaganza in the glittering entertainment capital of the world. There's just one hitch, though, Buster Moon has to find and persuade the world's most reclusive rock star to join them. What begins as Buster's dream of big-time success soon becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart! Enjoy the holidays in downtown Kendallville this Christmas!

Kendallville Common Council has approved the creation of its Historic Preservation Commission, marking an important milestone in the city's efforts to support downtown revitalization and the restoration and preservation of historically significant structures. Five community members will serve on the commission: Keith Ballard, contractor, former RDC member, and building owner Stephane Langelier, building owner and Kendallville Car Show organizer Terry Householder, retired KPC Media publisher/president, historian Jerry Spaw, former RDC member and member of Kendallville Restorations Inc. Brad Graden, Community Foundation of Noble County director, former RDC member, former banker The commission will be responsible for vetting projects that propose to conspicuously change the exterior appearance of a building. In order to obtain a building permit from the city for such projects (when located in designated historic districts), building owners will need to receive a "certificate of appropriateness" from the commission. Through the PreservINg Main Street project and its supporting partners, commission members will be trained extensively in order to help building owners explore best practices and options that will protect the historic integrity of buildings while being sensitive to costs.

A Christmas Tree Jubilee, an auction of beautifully decorated Christmas trees and wreaths, will take place on Thursday, December 9 at Hosler Realty on Main Street. Several local individuals and organizations sponsored and decorated trees and wreaths that have been on display at Hosler Realty this month. This Thursday, doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and the auction begins at 7:00 p.m. with a chance to take home your favorite pieces. Proceeds benefit Experience the Heart of Kendallville, the city's Main Street™ Afilliate organization, currently working to distribute $2 million to restore and preserve the historic integrity of commercial properties in the Downtown Historic District.

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE) Kendallville, IN - The application deadline for downtown Kendallville property owners to seek to leverage the $2 million PreservINg Main Street grant, awarded to the City of Kendallville to preserve historic downtown commercial properties, has been extended to January 3, 2022. Property owners wishing to apply for a chunk of funding to make upgrades, restore, and preserve building facades have been given an extra three weeks, past the original December 10 deadline, to apply. During a recent meeting of the project’s steering committee, it was recognized that some property owners may be hesitating to apply for funding, lacking confidence they have the time to lay out their vision or that what they can afford to do will meet the criteria to be funded. In order to help encourage all interested parties to apply, the committee extended the deadline and came up with guidelines on which applications will be reviewed and projects prioritized. The key considerations the committee will have as they review applications for funding assistance are: • The applicant's previous participation in Heart of Kendallville promotions, activities and events. • The danger of the building being demolished without intervention. • The building is currently vacant (or not). • The proposal addresses exterior code violations (or not). • The applicant has matching funds in hand (or they are committed). • The proposed project’s visible impact in the project area. • How the project will assist in increasing visitors/customers to the downtown area. • If the project will impact efforts to add housing. • If the subject building is an anchor business or building in the downtown corridor. • If the project might encourage a "ripple" affect to spur more rehabilitation work. • If the project budget is realistic and based on estimates or bids. Kendallville’s project steering committee encourages anyone who owns a qualifying property to submit an application to express their interest in making improvements to the exterior of their property, regardless of their perceived likelihood of being granted funding assistance. By applying, the committee and Experience the Heart of Kendallville (EHK) (which is about to hire a full-time Main Street Manager) will be better informed about opportunities for revitalization and what property owners envision and need to succeed. Such information will help (EHK) form strategies for the future, even beyond the $2 million grant program. The short application, and more information, is available at kendallvillemainstreet.com. Stakeholders are encouraged to sign up on the website to receive blog updates, which are posted routinely. To subscribe, click on “News” on the website menu then choose the “Log in / Sign up” button at the top of the blog posts to subscribe.

Updates aired on "Home Town Takeover: Where Are They Now" with Ben & Erin Napier Although Watumpka, Alabama was chosen for a Home Town Takeover, thousands of communities - including Kendallville - submitted video entries to the community makeover contest in early 2020. Since then, producers at HGTV have reached out a few times to Kristen Johnson, director of the Kendallville Chamber of Commerce and president of Experience the Heart of Kendallville. Kristen, with help from local stakeholders, provided updates just after submitting the application for a PreservINg Main Street grant, which the city ultimately did win! As a result of providing those updates, Kendallville was featured during an HGTV Thanksgiving Special, "Home Town Takeover: Where Are They Now". The episode aired twice over the holiday weekend. (The full episode, a precursor to a new series called "Home Town Kickstart" that will feature six more community transformations, can be streamed by Discovery+ subscribers.) Kendallville was again passed over for direct assistance from the Napiers, however was pretty prominently featured during the special. HGTV granted permission to share these clips from the show. Enjoy and join EHK in celebrating our own home town for the inspiration they create!

Throughout the PreservINg Main Street grant period, Experience the Heart of Kendallville will provide bi-monthly reports that include the following topics: Fundraising progress - requirement to raise $200,000 in local matching funds Project progress - committee development, applications, etc. Local ordinance & commissions - government actions required Humanities program updates Preservation education events & updates Main Street organizational capacity building efforts Metrics for success PROGRESS REPORTS:

Experience the Heart of Kendallville (EHK), a Main Street America™ 2021 Affiliate and PreservINg Main Street Pilot Community, is now seeking to hire a full time Main Street Manager. EHK's Main Street Manager will be the primary face of the organization and a visible, vocal advocate for downtown Kendallville. Essential duties and responsibilities will be required in four strategic areas: organizational, promotional, economic development, and design. Candidates may apply by sending a cover letter and resume to tara@noblecountyedc.com.

Historic preservation experts Ron Campbell and John Bry will offer a free workshop for downtown Kendallville business owners that will showcase what makes for "good design" in the historic district. The workshop, Downtown Design 101: Building a Successful Business Through Design, will take place at the Kendallville Chamber office on Thursday, November 11 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Participants are asked to register by dropping an email to sowles88@yahoo.com. Priority visits will be scheduled for attending property owners to take place on Friday, November 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to follow up the workshop and receive guidance on design, and to map out a scope of work plan that can be used towards participating in either the RDC or PreservINg Main Street facade grant programs.

Magic on Main Street, a Christmas Tree Jubilee, presented by Hosler Realty, is coming to Main Street this holiday season! Area individuals, businesses, and civic groups are invited to sponsor Christmas trees and wreaths to be decorated and placed on display at Hosler Realty on Main Street. The tree and wreath display will be open to the public during the Kendallville Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 4. Then, on Thursday, December 9, the uniquely decorated trees and wreaths will be auctioned off to benefit Experience the Heart of Kendallville's Main Street mission! Help build the Main Street organization's capacity to transform downtown Kendallville! Tree and wreath sponsors are now being sought to participate. Sponsors may choose to decorate trees and wreaths, or have Hosler Realty decorate them. Call (260) 347-1158 with questions and use the information below to participate. Sponsor a tree or wreath or contact jstreich@hoslerrealty.com. Trees and wreaths must be decorated by no later than Wednesday, December 1 at 4:00 PM. Tree & Wreath Display Trees and wreaths may be seen at Hosler Realty on Main Street leading up to the Kendallville Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 4. Hosler will be open for viewing during the parade. Tree & Wreath Auction Doors at Hosler Realty will open on Thursday, December 9 at 6:00 PM. A live auction will begin at 7:00 PM.

The 53rd annual Kendallville Christmas Parade, "A Gingerbread Christmas” will travel down Main Street on Saturday, December 4. The parade begins at 1:00 PM. Entries are now being sought for the parade and organizations from across Noble County are invited to participate. Cash prizes will be awarded in multiple categories for top entries. Experience the Heart of Kendallville is a contributing sponsor, as is the Kendallville Area Chamber of Commerce. KPC Media Group and radio stations WAWK and The Hawk are the coordinating sponsors. Parade applications are available at The News Sun, 102 N. Main St., or at the Kendallville Area Chamber of Commerce at 122 S. Main St. Registration is also available online.