The City of Decatur is planning for the revitalization of the Oakwood Business District. Local business owners are part of the mission to breathe new life into the area.

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The City of Decatur is planning for the revitalization of the Oakwood Business District, roughly the area of Oakland Avenue between West Main and West Wood Streets. 

In a press release, the city said, "The Oakwood Business District has long been a vibrant and well-loved part of Decatur, however in recent years, the area has faced challenges and has not experienced the same level of activity." 

Local business owners are part of the mission to breathe new life into the area. Kimberly Holman owns the Homegrown Collective along West Wood Street. As a Millikin alum and resident of the area, she's happy to see the city invest in the area. 

"I love that the city has reached out to Millikin and the other business owners in this area to seek input," Holman said. "I think we're all on the same page, with wanting to see some safety and beautification in the area and certainly some more retail and restaurant options." 

Her top picks for new businesses would be somewhere that carries grocery supplies, and a shop offering desserts. She would also like to see more community events held in the area. 

Kyle May has operated the Fleet Feet location on West Wood Street for more than two decades. He has seen the area ebb and flow throughout the years, as buildings have switched from commercial facilities to retail and restaurants. He wants to see some upgrades made to the infrastructure in the area. 

"Lighting and redo some curbing and maybe some parking spaces and stuff like what they did downtown a few years ago," said May. "At the time, people were against putting any kind of money into that, but it's turned out pretty good and opened up new restaurants and things like that downtown."

He wants to see a more diverse range of options for food and other types of businesses open up in the area. He's optimistic that people will continue to make their voices heard. 

The city is accepting surveys until Jan. 31. You can complete the survey at this link.

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