Jasper organization expanding Christmas experience in downtown
Many of the beautiful features around the riverfront in Jasper are just old enough to be taken for granted, but Dave Buehler and the original members of the Redevelop Old Jasper Action Coalition (ROJAC) remember what Frogtown used to look like.
“It is all about economic development,” Dave Buehler said in a press conference Wednesday morning.
The Jasper City Mill and Train Depot were the two earliest additions to the area around the turn of the century — not long after Buehler’s vision for a walking path along the Patoka River came to life in 2000. Then came the Spirit of Jasper train, the Schaeffer Barn, German American Boulevard, the Labyrinth on the Riverwalk, and the Alexander School House.
Buehler credits these developments with the addition of the River Centre, the Fairfield Inn, and the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center in areas that used to be the sites of abandoned factories.
“You can go on the porch here (Jasper Train Depot) and just look around,” he said. “It wasn’t like this before. I was not a good area of town.”
Here is a story about a recent addition to the German American Boulevard area.
Buehler and other members of ROJAC in attendance at the meeting Wednesday credited all the members of the nonprofit over the years as integral in bringing these projects to life. Currently, there are about 350 members of the organization with meetings held monthly. You can become a member through the organization’s website or by contacting the Jasper Chamber.
Wednesday’s conference wasn’t just to recognize the work in the past but to announce what is being planned for the future.
The group is now taking on a role that doesn’t include rebuilding historical landmarks in the city. Instead, ROJAC plans on creating a beautiful downtown Christmas experience that highlights the streets leading to the Courthouse Square.
The two-year plan calls for the addition of more than 150 four-foot wreaths on decorative poles lining streets leading up to the square as well as around the new features along the river front. The group will work with the Jasper Electric Utility to add 34 new decorative poles as well as at least three entry point banners hanging over Newton Street, Third Avenue and Sixth Street
Work on the Square is slowing the roll out of the new additions, but the new project is expected to be done in 2023 after the revitalization project is completed — hopefully in time for O’ Tannenbaum Days. This year, residents and visitors will see about 100 new wreathes lining the streets and then in 2024, the remaining area encompassing the downtown and Old Jasper Area will be completed.
According to Buehler, the goal is to created a Christmas experience that lasts over the entire season invigorating the downtown area and supporting businesses and tourism.
With the project, ROJAC is taking the lead for ensuring the upkeep and replacement of the Christmas decorations continues annually.
The estimated investment is about $50,000 and ROJAC is seeking potential donors for the project.
Great to see the commitment by so many leaders to preserve the past and enhance the present and future environs for generations to come.