Roller Hardware Facade Rehab (Alliance, Nebraska)

Ever wonder what a simple change in the way a retail building looks could do for business? Stop in at Roller Hardware in downtown Alliance and find out. Harold Roller, the building’s owner, decided that a more historic look to match other storefronts in the Panhandle community was in order. The white tin and bold red plastic letters and backlighted signs smacked of the 1970’s. Besides, cracks in the signs had allowed them to attract bugs and dirt and shine less brightly than when they were new. Removal of the tin revealed two empty spaces above the door pediments in the building which once housed the Eagles Lodge upstairs. The lodge had moved elsewhere, but when club members saw how good the building looked, they returned the stained glass pieces which said “FOE” on them to their original space above the doors. The building owner had a local artist paint a new sign for the building using lettering similar to that in the name block atop the second story of the façade. For less than $1,600, the building owner gained a more appropriate look to the building, more closely matching the fabric of surrounding buildings. Partial funding for the project came from a façade incentive grant provided by the Alliance Main Street program. Nationally, retail experts agree that a new façade, sometimes as simple as new paint or awnings or signage, can mean as much as a 10 percent increase in retail traffic for a business.

April Showers (Alliance, Nebraska)

When the Alliance Main Street program sponsors a clean-up day, they get really serious. Members of the Alliance Volunteer Fire Department, Main Street and Keep Alliance Beautiful joined forces for “April Showers,” a project to clean the dirt and grime of winter off of downtown buildings, sidewalks and landscape. The idea came from another Main Street community which shared the project with other communities at National Town Meeting on Main Street in 1995. Firefighters use a low water pressure to hose down the buildings. Sidewalks are also washed and the dirt is swept into the gutters which are also washed down. The event provides a training opportunity for firefighters, a fresh face for buildings and an opportunity for the public to celebrate. School organizations such as Future Farmers, Explorers, and Girls Are Powerful to youth organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts provided the backbone of the volunteer base. Special sales, contests and prize give-aways brought people downtown. The boost in sales is welcomed in what is a typically slower time for retailers. The event has drawn national attention to the community. April Showers was featured on CBS Sunday Morning which brought queries from other parts of the country and positive publicity as well. “It’s a win-win situation for retailers and shoppers alike,” said Alliance Main Street Manager Carrie Katen. “It sets the tone for the Spring and we start out with a clean downtown to attract business.”