A group of women from Red Wing, MN, visited Jefferson last week to learn more about the renovation of the Centennial Block Building and Why Not Us.
The renovation of the Centennial Block Building and the establishment of the Centennial restaurant there drew the attention of the Main Street America publication. As a result, a group of women from Red Wing read about Jefferson’s Why Not Us (WNU) story and wanted to learn more with a personal visit. They made plans to meet with the WNU group’s board.
The six Minnesotans were able to fly to Jefferson in a small jet thanks to the 800 feet added to the runway at the Jefferson Municipal Airport completed in September 2021, according to James Leiding, city engineer. The total runway length of 4,000 feet can now accommodate larger planes such as this jet, although the pilot confirmed the length before the flight. The trip from Red Wing to Jefferson took 38 minutes, the women said. A car was available at the airport for them to use to drive to the downtown square.
Over lunch at The Centennial restaurant, the visitors were eager to hear about the unique arrangement of WNU and how this local group was able to establish its business structure, raise funds, renovate the building and attract a chef for the restaurant. There are vacant structures in Red Wing, a much larger community, and the group hoped to learn how they might use similar approaches for their buildings.
During the discussions, the visitors learned of the value of the established Jefferson Matters Main Street organization to garner support from those volunteers, and the critical importance of partnership with the city of Jefferson which made significant improvements to the building in addition to a forgivable loan.
The impact of returning a key restaurant to the Main Street district on other businesses on the square by increasing foot traffic, time spent in the area and general interest in the community was also stressed.
During a tour of the downtown square, the visitors saw the artwork and alleyways that contribute to the vibrancy of the community. Before boarding the jet to return to Red Wing, the women expressed appreciation for the experience which exceeded their expectations.
