Friday, the St. Cloud Chamber hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the reopening of the Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown St. Cloud after a streetscaping construction project plagued by hurricane delays. Mayor Nathan Blackwell had the honor of cutting the ribbon alongside Dirk Webb, the president of the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce.
“This is a message to the people of St. Cloud.” Webb said. “That the city is strong and economically viable.”
The road work, on Pennsylvania and 10th Street, is a part of a larger-scale project to revitalize downtown St. Cloud, city officials said, with the goal of promoting growth among the businesses and people there. Webb stated that he would like to bring in more strong businesses to be a part of the community.
The event, held next to the City of St. Cloud City Hall, was also situated next to a few local businesses, such as Blue Lotus Yoga & Wellness and the Garage Bar. Alongside it, in the heart of downtown, was a Discover Downtown Scavenger hunt that allowed residents to explore the various businesses in St. Cloud as well as gather many amazing deals along the way. Members of the Chamber also discussed the other impactful projects they have in store for the city of St. Cloud, with the road being a stepping stone. City leaders envision a intermodal network that connects downtown to its lakefront to bring together more of its businesses and members of the community.
"If you look at serving the community,” Ken Gilbert, council member, said, “you have to start by serving the people.”
