Published: July 04, 2008 04:54 pm            

Overseeing a changing Downtown

Somerset — Downtown Som-erset is changing — and the man who has overseen its development over the past several years believes there are both positives and downsides to its current situation.

Gib Gosser, director of the Downtown Somerset Development Corporation, loves history, and it’s hard to ignore the senti-mentality in his voice as he talks about the 100-plus-year-old buildings which are about to meet their demise to make way for new structures. But Gosser is also keeping one eye on the future as he stresses the need for downtown businesses to keep the area thriving.

“A one-two punch”

The future judicial center is being heralded as a large improvement for the downtown Somerset area.

Gosser sees the benefits, but he also recognizes that much of downtown’s character is being lost in the process.

“We’ll have to wait and see how the judicial center will affect the rest of downtown,” he said.

Gosser doesn’t believe the judicial center will have an impact on the number of people who come to downtown Somerset.

“The same people will be coming (to do business there). They’ll just have nicer facilities to come to,” he said.

But he does think the inhabitants of downtown will change.

“It’s kind of a one-two punch,” he said.

“A lot of private office space will become available (because some local attorneys and judges will be moving to the judicial center), but that won’t begin to compensate for what we’re losing. I believe there are 14 buildings in the central business district that will be torn down (to make way for the judicial center).”

While many businesses relocated elsewhere when they were forced out by the future demolition, several remained in the downtown area, such as Rogers Photography and Brandywine Studios.

The new judicial center will also provide an open, grassy “plaza” for large gatherings in the downtown area, Gosser said. However, at the same time, the structures which will be removed in the southeast corner of Fountain Square will cause a “missing tooth” appearance, he said.

“For every unfortunate thing I see, there is a fortunate thing as well,” Gosser said.

“There has to be change. Hopefully, we’re headed in the right direction.”

Save the Virginia

It was once downtown Somerset’s hot spot. Then it became the area’s eyesore.

For the past several years, Gosser has been attempting to raise interest in the restoration of the Virginia Theater on East Mount Vernon Street.

So far, the building has been made structurally sound. However, plans for the building remain a mystery.

“We have to find a use for it,” Gosser said.

“We conducted a study in January which gave us a lot of good ideas ... but it’s going to take a strong grassroots effort (to make the theater useful again.)”

Gosser is in the process of conducting meetings to gather the public’s ideas about the use of the building.

“We’ve been discussing who will use it, what they’ll need, and how to find the money to pay for it,” he said.

“I really believe the economy of downtown hinges on the theater. You have to have an attraction that will draw people downtown on evenings and weekends. We had one (in the Virginia Theater) for 75 years. ... The downtown area saw rapid deterioration when the theater closed.”

Much of the vacant space in downtown Somerset is near the Virginia Theater.

“If we can get the theater project going, I think everything will fill in around the theater,” Gosser said.

Literary genius

The downtown branch of the Pulaski County Public Library, which opened earlier this year, is another structure which drew both cheers and jeers when it was originally proposed.

Gosser says the library has proven to be an asset to the community.

“There was some apprehension about the library,” he said, “but now people are beginning to see that you really can pack a library all day as long as you have adequate parking.”

The library was moved south a few blocks — from North Main Street to South Main Street — in order to provide a larger, more modern facility with more parking spaces.

Now, the community is deciding what to do with the library’s former location — a structure which once housed the city’s post office.

Gosser says a group is considering turning the building into an arts center, “but that has yet to be seen.”

“Hopefully that would be a great thing, but, then again, it would be competing for the same audience as the Virginia Theater,” he said.

A handsome face

Buildings aren’t the only things getting facelifts downtown.

A “streetscape” project — which improves the look of utility lines, streetlights, and landscaping along city streets — is nearing completion on South Main Street. Plans are to begin another streetscape project on North Main Street this year.

Pulaski County’s fiscal court is also preparing to make renovations to Fountain Square at the heart of downtown Somerset.

Additionally, adjacent to the new library, a Children’s Garden is being planned, which Gosser says will be “another major improvement for downtown in the coming year.”

Somernites success

It isn’t a building, but it has certainly brought popularity to downtown Somerset.

Somernites Cruise, a classic and custom vehicle show and cruise-in held once a month in April through October, is not only downtown Somerset’s only event — it’s also the first event to ever be so successful. The event draws visitors from several states and has developed into one of the best car events in the country.

“Every town in Kentucky now has a cruise-in,” Gosser joked.

“Everyone is trying to emulate what Somerset has. But nobody will do their event on the fourth Saturday of the month because they know they’ll be in competition with Somernites. That would be like holding a major horse race on the first Saturday in May in Kentucky.”

Gosser says that, despite rumors, Somernites will continue to be held during the demolition and construction phases of the judicial center project — and the event will continue to be held free of charge.

        

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