Mallory Herrmann
citydesk@lstribune.net

Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street is gearing up for a busy holiday season. The nonprofit organization’s Sept. 25 quarterly meeting outlined upcoming events and promotions, including the Boos, Barks and Badges Halloween Parade (and subsequent pub crawl) on Oct. 27 and the mayor’s tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 16. The board shared opportunities for residents and business owners alike to get involved, in line with Mayor Bill Baird’s recent call to turn the downtown into a “regional destination.”

Citing a 13% increase in taxable sales over 2017 and about $1.4 million in private investment for renovations and other improvements in the downtown core, DLSMS pointed to strong continued growth.

Donnie Rodgers Jr., DLSMS executive director, called out new businesses that have recently opened in the area, including DASH Marketing, Painting Petunias, Embers Candle Bar, and Bridge Space. The Shredd has also expanded and Frankie Farelanes has reopened under new ownership.

The popular Haunted & Historic Spaces Tour will offer twice as many tours as last year, but still sold out in about two hours. The Oct. 20 event takes participants on a walking tour of the downtown to hear about the area’s history, landmarks and ghost stories.

Councilmember Rob Binney was in attendance and offered a brief update on the recent city council approval of the new Reece Nichols construction and the city’s upcoming strategic planning initiatives. Binney also referenced Baird’s comments from this week’s state of the city address, suggesting that the city’s long-awaited plans for a farmers market structure and outdoor performance pavilion are poised to move forward once again.

Rick Viar of Summit Bank of Kansas City sponsored the meeting, which was held in the new barrel room at Smoke Brewing Company.