As the city continues its dedication to the overall look of its community, we have been reminded of the importance of eye-appealing communities.

People all over Michiana travel to Dowagiac events like the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival and the Candle Light Christmas parade, and out-of-towners consistently comment on how beautiful the city’s downtown is.

We know that aesthetic appeal does not just happen on its own; it is the result of a longtime commitment of the city government and Downtown Development Authority.

With the city’s blight elimination program, officials are able to vote to raze buildings like the city’s “Old Gray” that are vacant for long periods of time and become eyesores, so long as the funds remain available to do so.

Financial assistance like the DDA’s facade improvement incentive offers businesses like Farm Bureau Insurance the necessary encouragement and funds to keep their buildings looking fresh and clean.

Some may wonder whether funds used to pay for these improvements are a good use of taxpayer dollars, and we believe that they are.

The reasons are simple: When a city looks good, it keeps people coming back. People searching for cities to settle down are often drawn to communities that look good, with quality businesses available for them to frequent. Quality business owners are interested in opening shop in communities that look good and have a good customer base — and the circle continues.

Ultimately, as long as other areas in need of attention are being addressed and city officials are applying for grants and allocating dollars intelligently, we believe their decisions to fund the upkeep and appearance of the city is money well spent.

We commend the Dowagiac City Council, the Downtown Development Authority and all of the business owners committed to making Dowagiac not only a convenient place to make a home, but also a beautiful city that we all can be proud of.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.