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Music to play
year-round in Downtown Greenville
The next time you are in downtown Greenville, close your eyes and open
your ears. Quickly, you will notice background music now fills the air
of the historic district.
Main Street Greenville, the non-profit organization created to help
revitalize the downtown district, typically plays holiday music
throughout downtown from the end of November through the first of
January. Now, music will be offered all year-round for residents and
visitors to enjoy.
“Our Design Committee works to create a welcoming environment in the
downtown area. They felt offering music all-year would make the
district more inviting,” said Amber Garrett, Executive Director of Main
Street Greenville. Shortly after coming up with the idea, the YOLO
Organization and the Greyson James Steyer Fund through the Darke County
Foundation partnered to provide the financial support to make the
project possible.
The YOLO Organization was created by Phillip & Jodi Pierri, through
their passion to give back to their community. The Pierri’s established
a funding source through the festival of races the organization has
created and managed. Proceeds from their events are used to assist with
local projects to help build a better place to live.
When asked why YOLO made the decision to get involved with the project,
Phillip said, “Our family loves downtown Greenville and believes in the
work that Main Street Greenville is doing. This is the first project
YOLO has donated to. We look forward to helping with many more future
community projects similar to this one.”
The Greyson James Steyer Fund was created by Matt & Mindy Steyer,
in memory of their son. “Thank you to our family and friends who
continue to remember our son,” said Matt. “As a supporter of downtown
Greenville, our family is happy and honored that Greyson is able to
partner with us on this music project.”
In March, the YOLO Organization and the Greyson James Steyer Fund
donated $3,500 to Main Street Greenville, for the purpose of updating
the downtown speaker system. The upgrade allowed for new equipment and
wiring the sound system into Main Street Greenville’s office.
Music played in public places and shopping districts is much more than
just simple background music. Studies have shown it can encourage a
longer visit, reduce crime, and even increase sales. “We want downtown
Greenville to be a destination where people will want to visit, time
and time again. We feel this is one more step in the right direction,”
said Garrett.
Before moving forward with the project, Main Street Greenville asked
for the downtown business owner’s opinions and suggestions about the
days and hours in which music would be played. The organization also
contacted the city about any potential concerns or issues.
Work for this project was completed by local businesses, Greg Peck
Sound, 3-Way Electric, and Doss Business Systems. At this time, Main
Street Greenville is testing different volume levels to find the best
fit for the district. They also plan to change the type of music
offered each day, ranging from oldies to current hits.
Main Street Greenville is committed to stimulating and supporting
revitalization efforts, historic preservation and economic growth in
Historic Downtown Greenville. To learn more about the organization,
visit www.DowtownGreenville.org or call 937-548-4998. You can also like
the organization on Facebook to receive updates on a regular basis.
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