Salem Economic Development Director Lea Dellicarpini is working with the Salem Tourism Commission on a three year $300,000 lighting improvement program for downtown and the Christmas season.
Dellicarpini explains the downtown lighting project.
“Asked tourism if they would be willing to fund lining the downtown buildings with lights. Sort of like Marion or Lebanon have some of their downtown buildings lined with lights. I just think its going to spruce up downtown a bit, maybe class it up and encourage people to invest more in their buildings downtown and make them look nice.”
Dellicarpini says in the first year of the project slated for this summer the building lighting would be added to buildings in the northwest, southwest and southeast blocks of the Main and Broadway intersection. In the coming two years, the lighting would be expanded to businesses on Main Street from College to Jefferson.
The first year project is expected to cost $52,000. The other $48,000 of the commitment would be for improved Christmas lighting. The tourism board is still trying to decide if purchase or rental is best. While the initial improvements would be downtown, Dellicarpini is hopeful to eventually expand to a drive through lighting display in Bryan Memorial Park.
