I go for a daily half-hour walk and my normal route is through my neighborhood, although I enjoy an option of ambling for 30 minutes or so in parks and, on occasion, along city streets.
On a recent Saturday afternoon, I left my car at the parking lot of Leader World Headquarters and began plodding along Festus Main Street, which transitions into Bailey Road once you cross into Crystal City.
I was amazed at what I observed – people milling about and going in and out of stores and restaurants!
As a reporter, I have covered this region off and on for about 30 years and I have lived in Festus for almost 20. During much of that time, Main Street-Bailey Road resembled a ghost town, unless there was a festival like Twin City Days going on.
On this particular Saturday afternoon, however, there was no special event, yet all kinds of people were patronizing the businesses. No, it wasn’t kind of cluster of humanity you would find on the streets in New York City, but there definitely was life.
When I would take a walk on that same route on a Saturday in, say, 2010, I may have encountered five people. During my recent walk, I came face to face with dozens.
Festus Ward 2 Councilman Brian Wehner, whose family has operated Wehner’s Awards, 212 Main St. for about 45 years, said he is aware of resurgent vitality.
“There’s been a lot more activity – concerts, festivals, shopping,” he said. “There’s a lot of new blood downtown.”
Wehner said many have contributed to the revival, but the efforts of the owners of the Main & Mill Brewing Co., 240 Main St., must be recognized.
“Main & Mill got things rolling here,” he said. “Without them, I don’t know how far we’d have gotten down the road.”
Denny Foster and his father, Barry Foster, own Main & Mill Brewing Co., said he grew up in Festus and believed the downtown area could be revived.
“I’d always seen the potential for Main Street,” he said. “We were really well-received when we opened our doors (in 2015). There was a ton of interest in us while we were renovating. I think the interest (in the downtown area) is going to continue to grow.”
Revitalization also can be found on Crystal City’s end as well, said Crystal City Ward 2 Councilman Tony Becker. He noted that his town’s downtown region extends from Bailey Road north onto Mississippi Avenue.
“I think there’s a lot more activity than before,” Becker said. “I know there’s been a lot of interest in the buildings along Bailey and Main Street. There is interest in Mississippi Avenue.”
Among the projects on Mississippi Avenue is the planned reopening of the old Crystal Tavern, 118 Mississippi Ave. A married couple, Christa Webb and Paul Karez, are renovating the building.
“It’s still going to be called the Crystal Tavern,” Webb said. “We don’t plan to change the name. It’s got a lot of history. We bought the building next door. It will be an expanded Crystal Tavern.
“I decided it would be a good idea to bring it back. This area appeals to me. We’re hoping to bring life to Mississippi Avenue. We’re hoping to revitalize it.”
Another stretch I have walked on occasion is De Soto’s Main Street. That area has seen new businesses appear in recent years, said De Soto City Manager Todd Melkus.
“We’ve already seen a number of new shops on downtown Main Street,” Melkus said. “A lot of the shops are open on Saturdays. Also, restaurants.
“I’d say we’ve had significant development down there. There are some older buildings that have been purchased and it looks like they’ll be developed.”
Jim Thomas owns the building at 106 N. Main St., De Soto, where a tenant is El Lobo Rojo Mexican Restaurant.
“Absolutely, Main Street De Soto has had a great reawakening,” Thomas said. “You see people eating at the El Lobo Rojo patio. We’ve seen other businesses on Main Street doing really well. It’s all up and down Main Street.”
He said the street is well-suited for foot traffic.
“There are nice, wide sidewalks,” Thomas said.
Kimmswick long ago experienced its resurgence, said Mayor Phil Stang. He said his city’s revitalization can be traced to Lucianna Ross, whose family owned the 7-Up Co.
“It started (to come back) in the 1970s with Lucianna Ross,” Stang said. “When she saw (the town’s) condition, she was not happy. She bought up buildings, renovated them and sold them as houses. It took quite a long time to get people to come here.
“She got Mary Hostetter involved with what is now The Blue Owl restaurant. The Kimmswick Historical Society came into existence. They and local people started the Apple Butter Festival, which has grown into the (huge) event it is today.”
Hostetter opened The Blue Owl after operating a bakery from her home.
“When (The Blue Owl) opened in 1985 there were probably only two shops in town,” Hostetter said. “I’d had my baking business in my house and had built a clientele. They followed me to Kimmswick. As The Blue Owl grew, so did the shops in Kimmswick. Mrs. Ross continued to develop buildings in Kimmswick. We’ve had as many as 28 businesses. Right now, I think we’re at 25.”
She said that while the increase in visitors to Kimmswick took time, she took notice as it was happening.
“It was so exciting to see the crowds,” Hostetter said.
Stang said the COVID-19 pandemic hurt the town, but it once again is rebounding.
“We’re back on track,” Stang said. “We have a comprehensive plan through the Great Streets Initiative (a federal grant program helping cities develop strategies for redevelopment), which comes down to ‘going back to the river.’
“We’re bringing in riverboats. Not only will people want to come see the city off the riverboats, but people will want to come to Kimmswick to see the boats.”
Crystal City and Festus have received a Great Streets Initiative grant and work on a strategic plan to continue to revive their downtown areas has begun.
Who knows? Maybe there will be a time when I go for a Saturday afternoon walk and see hundreds of people on the streets of downtown Crystal City and Festus.
