BENNINGTON, NE. — Downtown Bennington could soon have its own Business Improvement District — the first of its kind in town.
Three local business owners are spearheading the effort as the city of Bennington rolls out its own plan to reshape downtown.
Mia Eckhardt, owner of Flora and Fern; Jeanette Wade, owner of Dandelion Salon Co.; and Amber Tkaczuk, owner of Cup and Cone, say downtown needs to match the city's growth.
"We want to be here for the community," Eckhardt said.
They say the energy is already there.
"(We want) to make it a place where someone wants to bring their kids or to hang out," Wade said. "They are all showing those improvements, and we are definitely in a place in our community where that can happen."
The owners are pointing to places like Elkhorn and Gretna as examples of how growing communities promoted local business.
"So we just all kind of put our heads together (and thought), 'How could we improve downtown?'" Eckhardt said.
The first thing they would do as a BID is focus on accessibility and aesthetics.
"We want to make this a destination, you know?" Tkaczuk said. "(People) can come down here, they can shop, they can eat — they can just enjoy themselves for an afternoon or an evening.
The BID would also tackle limited parking — something Bennington Mayor Clint Adams said the city is working to solve in its own redevelopment plan.
"As developers come to us (with) potential ideas for mixed use, they are going to have to show us adequate parking," Bennington Mayor Clint Adams said.
"Bennington and the community are ready for this, ..." Tkaczuk said. "Now is the time ... We are determined to do this."
The owners say the BID could take about two years to set up.
In the meantime, they say anyone who wants to get involved in downtown can reach out to them for more information.
