By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
William Livingston, the Downtown Development Authority's second chairman, received a plaque for 14 years of service from new Chairman Ned Sutherland this morning at City Hall as the first chairman, Dr. Fred L. Mathews, looked on from the audience.
Mathews, tapped by City Council in 1986 when Karl Tomion was city manager, led the DDA its first 11 years, from 1987-98. Livingston, who was once Sutherland's neighbor on Main Street, joined the DDA Jan. 9, 1992.
Livingston, who recently retired from the insurance business, succeeded Mathews as chairman in 1998.
The DDA elected Sutherland, who had been vice chairman, and Dick Judd of Judd Lumber Co. becomes 2007 vice chairman. Sutherland, Mary Myers of Caruso's and Larry Seurynck of Wood Fire are longtime DDA members. DDA members also include Mayor Lyons, Sue Kazlauskas, Charlie Maher and Alan Fricke, attending his first meeting.
"When Bill came aboard," Sutherland recalled, "we were just finishing up our first phase, changing Front Street and diverting traffic down Division Street. That closed off part of Main Street, where I used to live, at Farr Park.
"Farr Park was our second phase we got completed. The third phase, which most of you are aware of, was Front Street downtown," which that summer turned to golf carts to ferry shoppers to merchants.
Fourth came redevelopment of Depot Drive – "we took down one big building," Sutherland recalled – and developed Beckwith Park on the lot where early Fun Fests took place, with the Haggin-Wimberley bandstand added for Thursday night summer concerts.
"Bill was pretty much involved in all five phases," Sutherland, a retired educator, said.
Livingston recalled Mathews' characterization of the Main Street-Division Street relocation as the "linchpin" of downtown revitalization.
"It became obvious to me that if it weren't for the initiative and efforts of individuals, ideas like that would never happen," Livingston remarked. "They don't just happen. It happens because people get behind it, instigate it and see it through. That's been the common theme. Dr. Fred Mathews was the linchpin, if you want to call him that, who carried it through. I was a part of that.
"I've been very pleased and honored to have that opportunity to be a part of what really is an exciting time in the history of the city. The resurrection of the downtown, the renovations of Front Street and Depot Drive. We became, in the process, a statewide example, if not even a Midwest example as far as the railroads are concerned, of what can happen when you have intergovernment and intra-city cooperation.
"The thing that's been most gratifying is that all of the elements – Chamber of Commerce, DDA, city, City Council, city management, city manager and mayor have all worked together. In other cities that has not been the case. In some, they work against one another, and very much so."
"It's been a great time, and I felt very honored to be part of that. I'm really pleased to see the total continuity of everything. People come, people go, yet the city keeps right on rolling," Livingston said.