Pontiac is a top 10 Great American Main Street Awards Semi-finalist!

Pontiac is honored to be one of the 10 semi-finalists for the Great American Main Street Awards.

From the National Main Street site:
"Pontiac has overcome a major flood, the closing and potential closure of major employers in the region, and a tight city budget to become a popular tourist attraction. Eighteen historic, wall-sized murals; the creation of a museum complex; and new shopping and dining experiences have all contributed to give Pontiac's residents and visitors a place they can truly enjoy every day."

Summer Bash...Murals and More Coming to Pontiac

Pontiac is hosting the Walldogs this summer! The Walldogs is a group of sign painters and muralists from around the world. Each summer they converge in one town to create wonderful murals. 160 artists will visit Pontiac to create 17 murals around the downtown area. This design will be painted on the side of Old City Hall Shoppes! Come to Pontiac June 25, 26, 27 and 28. In addition watching the murals being painted, you can attend Heritage days on the square and the Hang Loose Car Show in Riverside Park. You can view more of the mural designs here.

Main Street 2.0 (09 National Conference)

Pam Myers (Aledo director), Lori Fairfield (Pontiac director), Diana Orris Kenney (Crystal Lake director)

PROUD Executive Director Lori Fairfield and her assistant Beckie Linn Gregory are attending the National Main Street Convention in Chicago this week. We also have dedicated board members who took time away from their business to attend some or all of the conference: Bob Karls, Dee McCarty, Kathy McLean, Deb Jaso, Todd Snedecor and Joyce Cole.

There is lots of enthusaim for revitalizing our downtowns and supporting the independent business owners here! We are attending workshops on economic development, promotions, events, on marketing and the internet, and so much more!

"Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell, and organize!"

Governor Quinn stopped by to fire up the troops. We are fortunate in IL to have a governor who is completely behind the mission of Main Street.

Blogging about Pontiac, IL!

Blogging about Pontiac is a new way to try and keep you updated about the happenings in Pontiac, IL and about the opportunities you have to shop, dine, and play in our beautiful town.

But first here is a little about our organization, P.R.O.U.D.

P.R.O.U.D. Mission:
Ongoing revitalization of the Pontiac central business district through focused promotions, design, economic restructuring, and effective organization in cooperation with the downtown business community and the local city government, assisted by a cadre of dedicated volunteers.

What is P.R.O.U.D.?
P.R.O.U.D. is a Main Street non-profit organization composed of a group of volunteers and community leaders working together to revitalize the heart of Pontiac-our downtown. Pontiac Redeveloping Our United Downtown was formed in 1988 to rekindle the economic vitality of downtown Pontiac. P.R.O.U.D. forms a partnership in building a positive image for downtown Pontiac.

What can P.R.O.U.D. Accomplish?
P.R.O.U.D. works to enhance community identity and heritage by preserving downtown as a center of activity and ensuring its economic stability. We do this by organizing various downtown activities, improving his historical significance, and by re-establishing downtown as a compelling place for shoppers, investors, and visitors.

What's in it for you?
P.R.O.U.D. works for the benefit of all of Pontiac, not just downtown. When downtown prospers, the entire community benefits. A healthy downtown means increased traffic and business for the entire community. It also means increased tourism, more jobs, better services and a better place to live. This provides a stronger tax base through new and stronger businesses.

We hope this blog will inform you about Pontiac and all we have to offer the resident and visitor...and if you like what you see you could even help make it all happen by becoming a PROUD volunteer and/or member.