Now more than ever, people are attracted to what's authentic and unique. In the case of communities, downtown is the most authentic place there is. In other words, there's nowhere more "Mesquite" than Downtown Mesquite. And there's nothing more authentic and unique to us than our time-tested and historic structures and places.
That's why it's important to preserve, adapt and re-use older properties in a way that honors their uniqueness and prepares them for modern-day use. It's why you'll see florists in old bank buildings and restaurants in old grocery stores. It's because those authentic and unique-to-Mesquite characteristics of historic properties tell our story and define us in the minds of locals and visitors alike.
Many studies have been done regarding the economic importance of preservation and adaptive reuse of older buildings.
Click here to review a study on the economic impact of historic preservation in Texas. See the video at right to view Six Practical Reasons to Save Old Buildings presented by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
There is ample proof that this preservation-oriented approach to downtown revitalization works. Nationwide, every $1 spent on administration of Main Street programs during 2018, a private sector "return" of more than $25 was made in terms of property purchases, rehabilitations and other projects. You can see more about the impact of this approach at
this link.Texas Main Street communities boast a similar type of return with more than $314 million in reinvestment in 2019 alone.
Our Mesquite Downtown Development office assists local business and property owners with free design consultations, free facade design renderings and a facade grant program that provides a 50% reimbursement on approved projects up to $20,000. Get more information about these programs here.