Sparkling sidewalks, vibrant flower baskets and fresh-painted storefronts. Cottage Grove’s Downtown Historic District officially has a new look.

Several dozen people gathered in the new event plaza during the city’s grand re-opening of Main Street on Saturday, exploring the newly renovated roadways and the South Valley Farmer’s Market. Downtown Cottage Grove has been under construction for years as part of the Main Street revitalization project that was approved by city council in 2015. The project included street and sidewalk repaving and leveling, ADA curb upgrades, street tree plantings, new lighting installations, new water and storm sewer utilities and water fountain placements.

To commemorate the culmination of more than a decade of efforts, Cottage Grove officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony that featured city councilors, Mayor Candace Solesbee, city employees and community partners.

“This has been a huge labor of love for the city of Cottage Grove,” Solesbee told The Register-Guard. “The crew that worked down here was just exceptional and made sure that it was as painless as it could possibly be. It’s growing pain for sure, but it means the world to this community.

“It really shows what can happen when people believe in their community and come together. That’s exactly what you see today,” she said.

The project was made possible through a $5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The city contributed $1.25 million.

Faye Stewart, public works director for Cottage Grove, has participated in the project since the start as a Lane County commissioner and then as a city of Cottage Grove employee. Stewart grew up in Cottage Grove and remembered the days when Main Street was the heart of the city — before more shopping areas became popular.

Over the decades, he said, the street infrastructure began to fall apart. Old tree roots had broken up the sidewalks and the street itself had crowned to make navigation difficult, especially for wheelchair users, he said.

In recent years, parking along Main Street became impossible. You couldn’t park a car on the street and open the passenger-side door without knocking it into the curb, Stewart said.

“It had gotten to the point where it really wasn’t pedestrian friendly for people to come down here,” he said. “With these improvements, we’re already seeing more people downtown. … We’re hoping the excitement will just continue, more businesses will locate downtown, and more people will spend their time down there.”

A friend of Stewart’s who lives in South Eugene recently told the county commissioner he’s visited Cottage Grove more in the past three months than he has in his entire life — a promising sign for the community.

Solesbee was excited about what the new-and-improved downtown area means for Cottage Grove and local businesses. As a business owner herself, Solesbee said there’s already been a “tremendous” impact in the number of patrons. Solesbee owns 5 Flying Monkeys Antique at the corner of Main and Fifth streets. She said there’s even been increased traffic in the evening hours due to the improved lighting. This summer will be the true indicator of how successful the revitalization project has been, she said.

Solesbee said Cottage Grove has big plans for 2027.

In August 2027, The Walldogs are coming to Cottage Grove for one week to paint 15 murals denoting the history of the town. Walldogs is a collective of muralists who travel the world to paint communities. In addition to the Walldogs’ visit, 2027 will also mark the 50th anniversary of the filming of “National Lampoon’s Animal House” on Main Street. It served as the setting of the climactic homecoming parade that ends the movie.

Solesbee said it will make for a joint celebration with the inaugural Music, Arts and Cinema Festival. She hopes the event will continue, reprising every summer.

“It’s going to be massive,” she said.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in The Register-Guard and then was distributed on the USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.

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