Felix Street improvements planned before discovery center opens
By Chris Fortune
A Downtown group wants to spruce up Felix Street before the grand opening of the Children’s Discovery Center.
Main Street St. Joseph, a Downtown strategic action group, and the city of St. Joseph are taking steps to ensure the block around the inspireU Children’s Discovery Center at 521 Felix St. is presentable when it opens in December.
The city will authorize an $85,000 funding agreement with the group for improvement projects within a two-block area at Tuesday’s council meeting. These funds come from a portion of the $1.5 million in funds previously allocated to improve infrastructure in the area.
“There’s several vacant buildings on that block, so we noticed that there could be some love put towards it because we‘re going to have a lot of people coming to St. Joseph to visit inspireU,” said Christy George, president of Main Street St. Joseph.
The planned beautification project includes repairing broken glass, painting or overlaying boarded windows and doors, and featuring more artwork in windows at nearby buildings.
The goal is to create an environment that encourages visitors to continue exploring Downtown.
“When they come, we want them to feel safe and encouraged to walk around and see what else there is to offer Downtown,” George said.
Main Street St. Joseph successfully applied for a Global Roots mural grant, and the mural, which local artists will contribute to, will be placed in the alley between 516 and 518 Felix St.
“The fact that came along and it’s placed right there — all of that works well, and it’s going to be perfect and just adds to what we’re trying to do with beautifying Downtown,” she said.
Procuring the grant and making sure cleanup activities are taking place before the grand opening of the discovery center in less than four months created a slightly hectic schedule for Main Street St. Joseph.
“Getting all of those things lined up sometimes can be challenging, especially when you’re working on a deadline,” she said. “So we’re just excited to make sure that when people come that it looks nice.”
