Maybe the hardest part of revitalizing the downtown and improving a community overall in a place like Hopkinsville is simply challenging some widely held concepts.
For me, testing the status quo is the most valuable takeaway from the book “Your City is Sick” by Jeff Siegler, the consultant known for his company, Revitalize or Die. Siegler gave his assessment of Hopkinsville following a three-day visit in September. I finished reading his book this weekend while occasionally texting with two friends who are also reading it.
Siegler’s time in Hopkinsville focused mainly on the condition of downtown and how to improve it. But his book takes a much broader look at the economy and culture of cities. He has a clear-eyed view that urban sprawl and big box retail are not things we have to support or even accept as inevitable for a modern economy.
He writes:
“Small towns are dying by their own hand. We abandoned the old local economy and adopted the new sprawl economy, and it is the most effective tool imaginable for losing money. National chains do not come to a community for the benefit of the community, we all get this right? They do not have your best interest at heart. What is best for their bottom line is diametrically opposed to what is best for your town. They want to remove as much money as possible for as little expense as possible, which takes away the very thing your city thrives on.
“We should fight like hell to keep national chains out of our towns, yet we welcome them with open arms as if Chipotle knocking on our front door is somehow a sign of success. Real cities don’t define themselves by chains, but by locally owned businesses. This is what makes a place interesting, what makes a place proud, and what keeps wealth in the community. Locally owned businesses and buildings retain so much more money, which then recirculates through town, and everyone benefits.”
Not to pick on Chipotle, but this is a timely observation since the chain restaurant opened one of its Mexican eateries this week in Hopkinsville. The Boulevard location has appeared busy since the grand opening on Wednesday. Chipotle is a publicly traded company with roughly 3,250 restaurants, all owned by the company. It does not offer franchises.
And while I understand that Chipotle has rave reviews because its tacos and burritos are prepared from scratch in front of customers, it is worth noting that Hopkinsville already had some very good, locally owned Mexican restaurants before this chain arrived.
Tacos El Papi is barely more than a stone’s throw from Chipotle. And if you haven’t tried Taco Express, a comfortable sit-down restaurant on North Main Street, you should check it out soon. (I didn’t start this column with an aim to recommend businesses, but sometimes the situation requires it.)
I also recommend Siegler’s book, although it will not be an easy read for many in Hopkinsville. Along with a critical view of strip malls, urban sprawl and national chains, he raises questions about the work of economic development agencies, chambers of commerce and tourism offices. Anyone who cares about Hopkinsville will uncover lessons in this book — even if you don’t agree with some of his arguments.
Siegler shares stories from other towns that strike at the heart of some of Hopkinsville’s recent loses, including the demolition of historic buildings through a combination of owner apathy and the failure of government officials to hold owners accountable. In one case, Siegler also describes a success story where he enlisted the help of dozens of kickball leaguers to protest plans for tearing down an old hotel. The property was saved and redeveloped.
One reviewer call the book “annoying and inconvenient,” a backhanded complement because he said he could not “sit on the sidelines and complain” after reading it.
Ultimately, Siegler advocates for civic pride and for attacking apathy through “relentless, incremental” action. We ought to be doing something everyday to improve our place, he says.
You don’t have to own a business or an old building downtown to have a role in improving Hopkinsville. An informal group is already acting on Siegler’s advice. Their next get-together will be at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23, at Hopkinsville Brewing Co.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
