Why Revitalize and Restore the Hotel?
Together, we can save a piece of Kimball's history and protect this authentic sense of place by rehabilitating the Wheat Growers Hotel and turning it back into a vibrant place for many future generations to enjoy. Quality of life is what seperates successful cities and towns from declining communities in the new millenium. The Wheat Growers Hotel is a visual representation of our community's heritage and the architecture is a physical expression of Kimball's history.
The Wheat Growers Hotel is one of the most visible indicators of community pride, along with Kimball's economic and social health. The Hotel is either an asset or a liability in the effort to recruit new residents, new businesses and industries, retirees, tourists and others to our community and to keep those we already have. The Wheat Growers Hotel "project" encourages forward-thinking economic development in a historic preservation context so this comunity's assets and legacy can be passed on to future generations. Because this revitalization entails the participation or so many people and entities in the community, a wide range of people also benefit.
Find additional information from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Who Benefits from a Revitalized Wheat Growers Hotel?
Property Owners
- Stable or higher rents
- Increased occupancy rates
- Improved marketability of property
- Higher property values
Kimball Businesses
- Expanded business customer base
- Expanded residential customer base
- Increased business from overall healthier economy
Professionals and Service Businesses
- Ready-made customer base of Hotel employees
- Location near government, banks, post office, and other institutions
- Nearby amenities for clients and staff
Chamber of Commerce
- Potential new member businesses
- Healthier overall business climate
- Potential partnerships on joint projects
Residents
- Local accessibility to goods and services
- Preservation of community for future generations
- More employment opportunities
- Stronger tax base to support other community aspects (schools, parks, etc.)
Local Government
- Increased sales and property tax base
- Protection of property values and infrastructure investment
Community Partners
(Civic Clubs, Historical Societies, religious institutions, senior citizens, arts groups, etc.)
- Improved quality of life in the community
- New membership potential among new residents
- Achievement of common goals
- Preservation of community history
Schools
- Use of museum as "classroom" for school projects
- Potential employment and business opportunities
- Potential partnerships
Businesses outside the Kimball Area
- Increased visitor traffic
- Increased business from overall healthier economy
- Additional amenities for employees and clients
Industry
- Improved quality of life makes recruiting and retaining employees easier
Some hard facts but solid reality about revitalizing the Wheat Growers Hotel:
There is no magic bullet, no formulas, no big fix answers, nor easy solutions. It is going to be a LOT of hard work, but WE can substantially improve the chances for success by giving what we can with time, effort, and/or finances to this revitalization effort.
There are no handouts. Grants will be possible though for the museum, ADA requirements, and meeting rooms!! Most resources are local. Whether we need people or money to make this project happen, they are most likely to be found in the community, and WE must find them.
Not everyone will like this project. We must forge coalitions that have never been formed, and many of the people involved may not be used to working with each other. Everyone has an agenda, and it is probably not just the Wheat Growers Hotel revitalization. WE must create the "energy and excitement" — and the priority — for the Wheat Growers Hotel's renewal.
Some changes will be needed. Most historical buildings will never again be able to look or be the same as they were decades ago. To support the rehabilitation and maintenance of historical hotels in today's market, we must aggressively expand the business mix — and its market area.
We can't do it alone. The Wheat Growers Hotel revitalization is not just one person's responsibility, and independent businesses owners can't do it alone, neither can supportive citizens. A collaborative effort, combining the unique skills and vantage points of public and private sectors, is essential.
Revitalization won't happen overnight. It is a gradual process that begins with small steps, eventually gaining 'ground' to completion.
The process is never finished. Traditional historical hotels require full-time, professional management.
You are just as qualified as anyone else to make this happen. Thousands of concerned citizens and business owners make a difference in revitalizing their historical hotels just by stepping up to help, regardless of experience or background. WE CAN DO IT TOGETHER!!!
Tourism + Heritage = Sustainable Economies
The Benefits of Heritage Tourism
Heritage Tourism can have a tremendous economic impact on our local economy. To economic benefits like new businesses, jobs and higher property values, tourism adds even less tangible—but equally important—payoffs. A well-managed tourism program improves the quality of life as residents take advantage of the services and attractions tourism adds. It promotes community pride, which grows as people work together to develop a thriving tourist industry.
An area that develops its potential for Heritage Tourism creates new opportunities for tourists to gain an understanding of an unfamiliar place, people or time. With the arrival of visitors in turn come new opportunities for preservation. Well-interpreted sites teach visitors their importance, and by extension, the importance of preserving other such sites elsewhere.
Tourism is a powerful economic development tool. Tourism creates jobs, provides new business opportunities and strengthens local economies. When Heritage Tourism development is done right, it also helps to protect our nation’s historical treasures (like the Wheat Growers Hotel) and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.
Linking tourism with heritage can do more for local economies than promoting them separately. That’s the core idea in Heritage Tourism: save your heritage, share it with visitors, and reap the economic benefits of tourism.