01/17/17 - Mayor's Column: Destination O'Fallon Downtown Plaza Public Workshop

By now most of you have either heard or read about Destination O’Fallon. For those who have not, Destination O’Fallon is a comprehensive economic development initiative that includes a number of projects and community-wide investments that will continue to make O’Fallon a national destination for businesses, families, and visitors.

Rightfully so, most of the attention and excitement about Destination O’Fallon is because of what it means for the residents of O’Fallon.

Please join us at a public workshop on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at the O’Fallon Public Safety Facility (285 N. Seven Hills Road) to help determine the design, policies, and construction of the new multi-purpose downtown plaza in O'Fallon.

If you are unable to attend the meeting, there will be an online survey sent to the community so that everyone has a chance to provide input.

Imagine one day, watching your son or daughter, or perhaps grandson or granddaughter, kicking a soccer ball around, working their way to becoming the next great O’Fallon sports star at the best parks facilities in the St. Louis area.

After the game, you pick up the rest of your family at the splash pad, and meet friends at the downtown plaza, which may be hosting a farmer’s market, or a performance of some type.

When the show ends, or when your bag of local produce is overflowing, everyone in your group walks over to the HollyHock House, Fezziwigs or Steven Mueller to browse the new inventory and talk with one of the local shop owners.

You finally end the day by having a nice dinner at Peel, Shooter’s, Gia’s or one of the many other restaurants that O’Fallon has to offer.

To me, that sounds like a tremendous way to spend a day in O’Fallon. But, everyone’s idea of great day is not the same as mine. Therefore, we need your help!

Downtown O’Fallon remains the heart of the Community. The O’Fallon Downtown Plan concluded that a top priority is a community space for festivals, fairs, and a farmer’s market. Investments through Destination O’Fallon will improve infrastructure and parking, and will provide a place to hold unique community events.

Increased activity at the new downtown plaza will continue the momentum in Downtown O’Fallon that we have seen with the recent addition of Peel Pizza, Shooter’s, Fezziwig’s Market Place, Sweet Katie Bee’s, the HollyHock House, and more.

O’Fallon is, and will continue to be, a destination for businesses, families and visitors, that is why it is such a great community in which to live.