NEW LIFE FOR AN OLD SERVICE STATION - Rison Mayor Charles Roberts said the old Lion service station located at the corner of Second and Main Street in downtown Rison has been sold to a new owner who plans to refurbish it to look similar to the way it did in its glory days. He said he hopes the transformation will be the spark needed to turn some of the old buildings in downtown Rison into businesses. Business development will the focus of the second in a series of community meetings aimed at developing a plan to revive Rison. The meeting is at 6 p.m. Monday, July 28, in the Hall-Morgan Veterans Building in Rison. The public is invited to attend to share their views.
Survey Gives Rison Shine, Mayor Insight for Business
RISON - Rison Shine will be hosting a community meeting on business development within the City of Rison at 6 p.m. Monday, July 28, at the Hall-Morgan Veterans Building in Rison. In advance of the meeting, Rison Mayor Charles Roberts sat down for the latest episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast with hosts Britt Talent, Douglas Boultinghouse and Roy Phillips.
The four delved into Rison Shine's community development efforts, stemming from the renewed interest and excitement as a result of the last community meeting held in June.
The meeting is open to anyone interested in community development in and around Rison. Rison Shine encourages anyone who owns a business in town, or has ideas for new businesses to attend the meeting.
Mayor Roberts expressed an optimistic view of Rison's current standing, stating, 'I see Rison in a unique situation with some really good opportunity." He noted that while neighboring cities struggle, Rison is experiencing a 'reversal,' aligning with a 'homestead feel' where people desire a safer place with gardens and yards for their children.
Looking long-term, the vision for Rison is rebuilding the local community to its former vibrancy, where most goods could be purchased within the town, as was common in the past, with multiple mercantiles, clothing and grocery stores.
To gather feedback from the community to know what types of businesses they would like to see, a survey was discussed during the podcast that is now available online at clevelandcountyherald.com or via the Cleveland County Herald and Rison Shine Facebook pages.
The simple three-question survey aims at understanding community needs and attracting businesses. The questions are:
1. "Outside the restaurants we already have, what other types of restaurants would you like to see in Rison?" This question draws inspiration from Bellefontaine, Ohio, where their turnaround started, was with one restaurant. Options for restaurants include steakhouse, home cooking, Italian, seafood, Cajun, bakery, or 'other' for specific requests like a Korean restaurant.
2. "What type of specialty businesses would you like to see in Rison?" This includes boutiques, outdoor stores, antique shops, game rooms, or event centers, with an 'other' option for additional suggestions.
3. "Other than the restaurants and specialty businesses, what other types of businesses or services would you like to see in Rison?" This open-ended question seeks everyday, ordinary stuff you look for in a small town.
The option for "other" in the survey provides a chance for the community to share ideas Rison Shine members have not considered.
According to Boultinghouse, who serves as the secretary/ treasurer of Rison Shine, the goal of the survey results is to gain an idea of what types of businesses the community would like to see in Rison.
This would allow Rison Shine and Mayor Roberts the opportunity to pursue those types of businesses and show them if they moved to Rison, they would have support from the community.
The results of the survey will be discussed at the July 28 meeting to determine the next steps. Rison Shine President and owner of Rison Serenity Wellness Spa Kristy Strother, along with Malinda Berry of My Berry Patch, and Britt Talent with the Cleveland County Herald, will moderate the discussion.
At the meeting, refreshments will be provided courtesy of Rison Serenity Wellness Spa and My Berry Patch. Also during the podcast, the hosts discuss potential ideas for some of the sites in downtown that could be revitalized in the near future, which include the former Lyon gas station, Cash grocery store and neighboring hardware store building.
They also discuss architectural visions for the town to brighten things up with pops of color.
"Change is important to me," said Roberts.
The full episode is streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ClevelandCountyHerald.com The initial June meeting focused on three areas of interest: business development, public spaces/beautification, and events/recreation. The upcoming business meeting will be the first of three follow-up meetings to expand in each of those areas. Meetings focused on public spaces and events will be planned for August and September.