Strongest Town 2022, Round 2: Frankfort, KY vs. Yellow Springs, OH
Welcome to the second round match-up in the seventh annual Strongest Town Contest! In this round, eight towns are facing off, and four will advance to the next segment of the contest based on your votes. We invite you to review photos and captions representatives from these two cities provided to our questions about economic resilience, citizen involvement, community response to the pandemic, and more. Then vote for the strongest candidate at the bottom of this page.
Can’t decide? If you’re looking for inspiration, check out how we describe the Strong Towns approach.
You may vote once per match-up. Round 2 voting closes at noon CT on Thursday, March 17. For rules, and to follow along with the contest, visit the Strongest Town Contest page.
Note: All entries are lightly edited for clarity and readability.
FRANKFORT, KY
Entry submitted by: Layne Wilkerson, Mayor; Laura Hagg, City Manager; Rebecca Hall, Grants Manager; Blair Hecker, Project Specialist.
(Source: Frankfort / Franklin County Tourist & Convention Commission.)
As the state capital of Kentucky, Frankfort is host to state government, where the rotunda of the Capitol building rises above the city on the south side of the Kentucky River. Inside the building’s legislative halls and chambers, some of the nation’s best and brightest minds are shaping and reflecting the nature of Kentucky. Across the river, no place in Frankfort better represents the city’s balance between the charm of history and innovation than Historic Downtown. In the shadow of the Old State Capitol, historic buildings are home to modern boutique shops, galleries and restaurants. The red brick St Clair Mall is filled on Friday and Saturday nights with visitors and residents enjoying live music, special events, good food, and friends. The utilization of historic downtown for events provides great economic benefit to the city’s locally owned businesses, and an important connection to Frankfort’s vibrant arts and culture community.
(Source: City of Frankfort.)
The City of Frankfort, in partnership with Frankfort’s university, Kentucky State University, proudly opened the Thorobred Trail in December of 2021. This project was a 15-year endeavor by the city, the State of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Walk/Bike Frankfort, Kentucky State University, and numerous citizens and community groups to create an important connectivity path between downtown and the university. This project was funded by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) funds, which focuses on non-vehicular transportation. The Thorobred Trail was created to establish a safe connection between downtown Frankfort and Kentucky State University campus for students and faculty, as well as serve as a further connection point to East Main Street for the community. The trail itself utilizes the old rail beds of the Pinsly Railroad and CSX rail line.
(Source: Leesa Unger, Commissioner, City of Frankfort.)
Community engagement is an area of major focus for the City of Frankfort, and one that has rapidly grown in recent years. The City is committed to community engagement on a daily basis, utilizing web sites and social media to communicate about local issues and programs, and the use of mobile apps for specific city departments. The City of Frankfort initiated a public engagement hub, Frankly Speaking, in 2019 which houses community input projects and public meetings, to gain resident feedback on an ongoing basis. The City also makes use of public meetings as frequently as possible, to keep residents updated on city projects. In 2020, the City began a $12 million federal TIGER grant project on a main corridor into town, to improve non vehicular transportation pathways and create a more inviting entrance into historic downtown. Throughout this project, the City has stayed engaged with residents through update meetings held at local businesses, and through a business assistance program to help impacted businesses thrive despite ongoing construction.
(Source: Frankfort / Franklin County Tourist & Convention Commission.)
Frankfort is more than just the seat of state government, it’s also the public art capital of Kentucky. Frankfort is a community with a rich artistic history and a diverse cultural heritage. Public art is visible throughout the city of Frankfort, with a walking sculpture tour featuring 26 rotating sculptures, and also 12 murals across downtown city buildings. Curated by local artists, Frankfort’s mural tour reaches throughout the central business district and is available for viewing by residents and visitors alike. Pictured here is one of Frankfort’s newest murals, installed in 2021, by artist David Cammack Lewis. Called “The Conversation,” this scene portrays Kentucky. The empty chair has been used by David for over a decade, depicting human presence. The imaginary constellation echoes a conversation, jumping randomly from point to point, veering off on different tangents, and circling back to discover new ideas.
(Source: City of Frankfort.)
Frankfort has a thriving small, locally owned business environment. In the downtown business district in 2021, there was over $120 million in planned, ongoing, or completed downtown investment projects. These projects range from bourbon tourism centered business ventures, to local retail shops, boutique hotels, and restaurants and bars. The City of Frankfort has been a key player in this downtown investment initiative, by supplying grant funds through downtown reinvestment grants. This project, a proposed boutique bourbon-themed hotel, was a recipient of a City of Frankfort Downtown Reinvestment Grant, which has helped rehabilitate this historic building into a vibrant part of the Main Street corridor.
Complimenting the bourbon tourism aspect of this new business is the Come Find Bourbon marker, located on the corner of Main Street next to this building. This marker demonstrates Frankfort’s position as the heart of the Bluegrass State, being centrally located to Kentucky’s biggest industry: bourbon distilling. Frankfort is home to several major bourbon distilleries, and is also centrally located on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a tour of 18 iconic bourbon distilleries in the Bluegrass region. Proximity to these important bourbon attractions. It’s a popular selfie spot for visitors, and a visual representation of Frankfort’s bourbon tourism industry.
YELLOW SPRINGS, OH
Entry submitted by: Brian Housh, Josue Salmeron, Erica Thomas, Johnnie Burns, Denise Swinger, Marianne MacQueen, Lisa Kreeger, Kevin Stokes, Carmen Brown, Matt Dillon, Judy Kintner, Phillip O'Rourke.
(Source: John Wehner.)
The Village has been highly successful during COVID due to the coalition of nonprofits, local businesses, and other key community organizations collaborating closely with local government to make sure that resident, business, and nonprofit needs were being addressed.
We have learned to be nimble and are taking advantage of this readiness to take action in advancing our goals. A critical advantage during the pandemic’s height was Dave Chappelle’s initiative to host comedy experiences in neighboring Miami Township, and the proactive efforts of the downtown businesses to concentrate attention towards supporting local businesses through an interactive program called, “Uplift Yellow Springs.”
Through collaboration with our local schools and data center, Yellow Springs has established a municipal broadband utility, Springs-Net, to provide reliable, high-speed, low-cost Internet to Villagers, visitors, and throughout the central business district. Springs-Net brings fiber to the home/business, ensuring that entrepreneurs can successfully grow their companies and that residents can effectively pursue work, education, and other aspects of our largely online society. Even during a downtown parade on the Fourth of July while riding on a float, reliable, high-speed internet is available.
As a Bicycle Friendly Community and a Buckeye Trail Town, the Village of Yellow Springs is known for its walk-, bike-, and roll-ability. The YS Active Transportation Plan (AT) has helped our community to secure nearly $5 million in grants to build trails, improve sidewalks and promote safety. The Village has embraced and codified the Complete Streets philosophy of “all ages and abilities” and continues to support a community ideal for families and aging in place. Whether an event, on a weekend, or throughout the week, ease of mobility remains an asset, and is one of the reasons why Yellow Springs continues to be referred to as “Everyone's Favorite Place.”
Yellow Springs continues to actively work to mitigate the gentrification that so many Strong Towns struggle with. Village Council has prioritized affordability in its goals, and we have committed to taking bold action to make a difference. A recent initiative involved the Village purchasing Lawson Place to keep 16 affordable rental units from being converted to high-end condos.
The celebration of diversity and inclusion is also part of the fabric of the Village. By providing spaces and opportunities for various groups to feel safe, supported, and connected, the Village of Yellow Springs is not only a place where all are welcome but a Village where everyone has a voice.
(Source: Ben Wright, Ground Coffee Photography.)
Yellow Springers love to connect—at local businesses for live music and wine tastings, at the Street Fair Beer Garden, at the Community Thanksgiving, at the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop, and other local events. Yellow Springs as a community is known for being actively engaged in the promotion and support of local artists, musicians, and merchants, which fosters a vibrant and inclusive community.