A Main Street Metamorphosis

Twenty-one years of change in Boyne City

By Geri Dietze | May 25, 2024

Today Boyne City is a thriving four-season destination, a Master Level Main Street community, and is nationally recognized as a model for the Michigan Main Street initiative (MMS), part of a national effort to help communities reclaim their historical roots and revitalize their downtowns.

But Boyne City’s transformation from a worn-out lumber-era boomtown to a thriving small town didn’t just happen—it needed a push.

Dust Devil Inspiration

Mark Kowalske, Boyne City native and real estate broker, has spent the last five decades in the same downtown building. At some point in the late 1980s or early 1990s, he looked out his office window to see the breeze whipping up a cyclone of dust and dirt from the street and gutters. An inquiry to City Hall about the availability of street sweepers was informative, but not actionable. (Yes, there were two, but they weren’t working.) “We’ve got to do something,” was Kowalske’s next thought.

And so, a dust devil became the catalyst for a clean-up of Boyne City’s functional, but uninspiring downtown, and the first of what is now known as the annual Buff Up Boyne. “We weren’t super organized,” Kowalske says of that first work bee, but with brooms, wheelbarrows, and shovels, business owners and volunteers brought some shine to downtown.

One thing led to another as the group continued its improvements, and with a combination of volunteers and financial donations, plus help from the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Boyne, things started to change.

Decorative banners appeared on the lamp posts. A billboard was created to reach travelers on US-131. (“No one knew where we were,” Kowalske adds.) Curbs were painted, and parking lots were paved.

But a heavy reliance on donations was not going to work long term, so, in 1994, City Hall suggested forming a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to shift the financial burden to tax-increment financing (TIF). Grants became another important funding source to keep the improvements going.

And yet there was still something missing.

Committing to Main Street

The DDA knew Boyne had good bones, an intriguing history, and a willing citizenry, but they needed help with a master plan. DDA member Jodie Adams is credited with discovering the pilot program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation called Main Street, which promotes historic preservation and economic development in struggling downtowns through technical guidance and organizational expertise.

After determining the level of community support, Adams and others went to Boston, in 2000, for the National Main Street Conference.

“We were hooked,” she says of the experience. And, when Michigan introduced a statewide Main Street initiative, part of the Michigan Economic Development Commission (MEDC), “[we] jumped at the chance to be included.”

After only a few months on the job, in 2003, City Manager Mike Cain faced some negativity from those thinking it was “too much work,” but the DDA and the city prevailed. “It was a journey to apply, [with] no guarantee that we’d be successful,” Cain says, but he notes the team’s “desire to [make] Boyne City the best that [it] could be.”

The whole process took months, including a trip to Lansing to present the pitch, and two visits to Boyne City by a representative of the Main Street program. In the end, Boyne was among the first four communities selected.

Laura Krizov, current program manager for Michigan Main Street in Lansing, visited Boyne in 2003 in her role as community assistance team member and remembers what impressed her. “Really [it was] the people,” she says, citing their interest in moving Boyne City forward “rather [than focusing on] personal agendas.” Krizov also stresses the strength of the proposed program, including the DDA. “They had a [funding] mechanism in place.”

Adams also credits “excellent” Cain as well as the “…many talented, dedicated, and passionate residents and staff over the past 20 years” for what has become a roaring success.

Slow and Steady Progress

Resident Michelle “Mit” Cortright served on the Main Street board for 20 years, including two terms as chair. She remembers a downtown that “was OK, but definitely not thriving … [but] over time, as things ramped up and Main Street got on its feet, the residents started to notice—and liked what they saw.”

A streetscape was an early initiative, transforming downtown with new sidewalks, benches, lamp posts, and trees, as well as updating the unglamorous stuff underneath: new sewer, water, and power lines. A facade grant program, with $20,000 annual matching funds, has, since 2003, helped 72 downtown businesses and building owners revitalize facades with historical accuracy. Today, downtown Boyne is in the National Register of Historic Places.

Main Street success attracted new developments, restorations, and upgrades helping the community at large, including marina expansion, city park and beach improvements, outdoor art, and new retail and business spaces. In the last 21 years, private investment has totaled $29,158,435 to help fund facade and building improvements and dozens of new businesses.

Other highlights, according to a 2024 Main Street Impact report, include a 1 percent storefront vacancy rate in downtown, six new businesses opened in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, and over 64,500 volunteer hours since the Main Street program began.

Boyne’s certification as a Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC), in 2015, through the MEDC, has also given them a leg up. The certification streamlines the process for some developers and businesses who wish to invest in the community through new construction or building rehab. For example: The in-progress historical restoration of the 1912 Dilworth Hotel will be a favored destination upon completion.

And the Winner Is…

All of that work has not gone unnoticed by the state or the rest of the country. In 2020, Boyne City won the prestigious national American Main Street award. (They were recognized as a Premier Main Street community in both 2011 and 2019.)

“For our little town to receive the Great American Main Street award was incredible,” says Courtright. The award segued nicely into their 20th anniversary Main Street celebration in 2023, attended by the MMS team. “Michigan Main Street considers Boyne City a huge success,” she adds.

So, what’s next? Current Main Street director Ingrid Day says there are things in discussion, but it’s “premature” to start planning the future, and stays focused on the good working relationship between Main Street, the Chamber of Commerce, and the city.

“Our goal is to maintain what we have…and what we know works,” she says, adding that Boyne’s “economic vitality” is key.

City manager Cain agrees. “We don’t want Boyne to be a cycle that rises and falls with the seasons,” he says, adding that Boyne’s future is “very, very bright. We’re held up as an example of how to do it.”

For details on Main Street events in Boyne City, visit boynecitymainstreet.com. For more information about the Michigan Main Street initiative, visit miplace.org/programs/Michigan-main-street

Things to Do On (or Near) Main Street

Check out the four-season roster of annual Main Street events below. These events are estimated to bring more than 60,000 attendees to the city each year. 

Boyne Appétit!: already held April 15-21
A showcase of Boyne restaurants and purveyors, including traditional American and internationally-inspired dishes, plus homemade treats, from chocolate to popcorn.

Buff Up Boyne: already held April 27
Community spring cleaning effort, the very first event which inspired Boyne City Main Street. 

Farmers Market: Wednesday and Saturdays mid-May through mid-October, plus Saturdays in the Winter
The region’s best, featuring homegrown produce, artisanal products, and more.

Stroll the Streets: Fridays June 7 through Aug. 30
Friday evening fun on every corner for every age. Music, face painting, and balloon animals.

Boyne Thunder: July 12-13
Sleek powerboats—last year saw 120—gather in Boyne for a 150-mile poker run fundraiser for local charities.

Food Truck Rally: July 25
One-of-a-kind event with food trucks galore. Vendors, music, and libations bring folks out for this annual Farmers Market fundraiser.

Harvest Festival: Sept. 28
The final Farmers Market of the season moves downtown, with decorations, games, music, fun, and beautiful local harvests.

Earlier than the Bird: Nov. 23
Start your pre-holiday shopping early (7am!). Dress in your pajamas and get special deals and discounts.

Holly Jolly Boyne: Nov. 29
Boyne glitters during the holidays with a Christmas open house for shoppers, Santa parade, and tree lighting in Old City Park.

Sip & Shop Holiday Bazaar: Dec. 6
Find unique gifts for the family at this elevated craft show and enjoy wine tastings from local wineries.