Resources: Success Stories: Patton Block

Paul Schuytema' rehabilitation of the aging Patton Block building in downtown Monmouth, Illinois is a perfect example of a transformational approach to downtown revitalization.

Many communities engage in reformational downtown rehab, which is usually focused on streetscape facelifts (e.g. new sidewalks, benches, street lamps, etc). The problem is that these reforming approaches rarely work, because the underlying premise of a downtown driven by retail is broken.

Schuytema, a small businessman and entrepreneur, correctly understood that although his building, which he bought to house his small software firm, had always had retail as a primary theme, it was not likely that would work again. Schuytema knew that the building had good "bones;" it was structurally sound. What he wanted to do was to make it attractive to a new kind of tenant that would not be dependent on retail trade.

Schuytema has created a private sector business incubator building that is fully integrated into the downtown area, rather than placed out in a greenfield project where there will be little benefit to other merchants and businesses.

He focused on two primary goals--completely wire the building for high speed Internet access (broadband) to help attract other companies like his; and do a rehab that would compete favorably with rehabbed office space in much larger cities. In other words, Schuytema focused on broadband and quality.

Most of the first and second floor spaces are now finished, and the local Chamber of Commerce is located in one of the street level spaces (see below). Schuytema is in conversations with other local entrepreneurs to put a cafe or coffee shop in the other street level space, which would bring al fresco dining to Monmouth and get more people downtown after 5 PM.

For more information, visit the Patton Block Web site