Denison -- Downtown Denison is rapidly becoming as colorful as its history and as bright as its future. While that may sound cliché, every successful downtown must find the right combination of incentives to encourage current business owners and attract new business owners to the heart of the city.

Recent numbers seem to indicate Denison has found the right formula.

Thirty new businesses have opened in downtown Denison in the last 15 months, bringing the occupancy rate up to a very enviable 80%.

Rialto

Those figures were released Tuesday at a press conference held in the recently refurbished Rialto, a regional landmark and a shining example of the transformation underway in downtown Denison. Along with the longtime favorite Mary Karam Gallery, two new art galleries recently opened downtown: Beverly Combs Art Gallery & Studio and Soho Studio & Gallery. 

The art renaissance continues with an announcement that has created a buzz in the Texoma art community; Joni Beamish will reopen Mystic Studio Friday, February 10.

Just across Main Street from the Rialto,  the eye-catching colors of Buffy's Cupcakes and Texoma Barbershop epitomize what every downtown wants to portrait -- vibrant and vital businesses.

"It is great to see such a new spark start up in downtown Denison," remarked Denison Mayor Pro Tem Michael Baecht.

Michael Baecht

"When I was a kid in 1975 working in downtown Denison, it was hustle and bustle," stated Eric Batey, Denison Development Foundation Chairman. "We're going to get that back."

Eric Batey tells about another new business, Dance Academy

"Everybody can make a difference," said Donna Dow, Denison Main Street Manager.

According to local business owners, the Downtown Denison Facade Grant Program was exactly the encouragement they needed. Projects receiving match grants from this program ranged from signs to painting to total restorations.

"The decision to make additional investments in commercial property today is a difficult one," writes John Tellkamp, "especially in the current economic climate where cash flow is tight. The Facade Grant Program made the difference..."

"Thanks to the facade program, we were able to paint the outside of our building and install a beautiful awning that gave our location the personality it was lacking before," echoed Buffy Hanson, owner of Buffy's Cupcakes on Main.

Texoma Barber Shop and Buffy's Cupcakes on Main

The historic Travelers building also benefited from this program.

"Being awarded the match grant gave me the incentive to tackle the exterior in a major way which I had been considering for a long time," said Christina Moon, owner. "I would not have done it without support from the city."