Auxvasse Community Center was packed with business owners, residents and their families last Tuesday night for a “Connection Gathering” to discuss their vision of what downtown Auxvasse could be.

Recently, the city of Auxvasse received a two year service grant through Missouri Main Street Connection, a nonprofit organization through Main Street America whose goal is to rebuild and strengthen old historic downtowns and neighborhoods. 

Main Street got its start in the late 70’s when building owners from small towns started losing all of the businesses out of their historic cores to malls. For Auxvasse, the highway bypass left another gaping hole in the community. 

Susan Galeski and her husband both grew up in Fulton but now call Auxvasse home. She recently attended a community meeting where they discussed the town’s history.

“It straight up sounded like the story line from the movie ‘Cars’ where the highway went in and the town died,” says Galeski. 

When Galeski was growing up, the biggest Auxvasse business she remembers was a feed and tack store… Even that is gone now. She, like many at the meeting, wants to see their town succeed especially for the future generations.

“I don’t want this town to die because I want to raise my kids here, so bad, " says Galeski. “I want them to feel what I feel here everytime; I come back home no matter where I've gone.”

The “Main Street approach” focuses on what these small towns have rather than what they don't have. They build on existing assets such as embellishing historic architecture with a fresh coat of paint or simply by adding some banners for a pop of color and a touch of character. 

In this Connection Gathering, everyone in attendance was numbered and split into four groups each focusing on one of the main pillars in the four-point approach: civic, physical, economic and social. 

“We talked about renovating the courtyard here,” says Galeski on behalf of the “physical” group. “Half the time it’s overgrown and dead, the concrete is just not right and the entrance is almost blocked off. If you don’t know it’s there, you wouldn’t know to look in and it could be such a relaxing and beautiful spot.”

This program offers more than just money taking a hands-on approach every step of the way. The first two years of the service grant is primarily about collecting ideas and providing a good foundation. 

“Many times after that two year period, that’s really when the work begins,” says senior program specialist Ben White. “We never go away, especially as we’re starting to hit that positive momentum.”

Based on what they hear from residents at this first input session, Missouri Main Street Connections will then formulate a strategy to implement them starting with development. They will discuss who needs to head the projects, how to get volunteers and what funding is necessary.

The city received about $30,000 from private donations to fund this valiant effort and with the help of Missouri Main Street Connections, hope to restore Auxvasse to its former glory.