The back room of Rich’s Famous Burgers was full on March 30 as a group of nearly 20 community members, business owners and aldermen gathered for their second monthly meeting to discuss downtown revitalization. 

With summer fast approaching and tourists on their way, the push to improve Steelville’s downtown is ramping up. The group has decided on the name Steelville Forward and coined the following mission statement:

“We work to revitalize Steelville by honoring its history, supporting local business and driving economic growth through collaboration, creativity, beautification and strategic promotion.”

The gathering began with reports of progress made since the last meeting. Lanin Thomasma presented three updated maps of local businesses and activities put together by Steelville Tourism. 

One map will be hung outside The Main Deck, one will go on the fence outside Casey’s and the third will be displayed at the new bike park kiosk once constructed to draw tourists into downtown. Printable brochure versions of the map have also been made available online.

Hutson Funeral Home will be allowing the group to use its digital sign at no cost to promote upcoming events. The sign is at a prime location along Main Street for tourists driving in and out to view while they pass.

Much of the meeting’s discussion revolved around flooding concerns. Some pointed out that the town’s susceptibility to floods could create a barrier to receiving funding and discourage new business in the area.

“Why would anybody spend money to take care of the buildings, to revitalize the main drag — which, there’s only one main drag — when it may flood?” Linda Spurgeon asked.

The group discussed a Flood Hazard Analysis and Mitigation Plan created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that was presented to the city in December of 2023. The plan proposes ways to mitigate Steelville’s flooding by modifying the Yadkin’s channels, creating detention basins and elevating buildings and bridges.

Many of the solutions in it were not financially realistic for the city, with even the cheapest plan estimated at over $4 million and the most expensive reaching over $37 million.

Some brought up trying to break the bigger costs down into smaller pieces and implement parts of the proposed plan, but funding was still a question mark. 

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission has advised that the group considers becoming a registered nonprofit. This could help them qualify for more grant opportunities and make them a more competitive applicant.

Ward 2 Alderman Jason Ward explained that many grant opportunities require a local funding match from the city (often around 25 percent of the total cost). The city can cover part of this with an in-kind donation of labor and equipment, but the remaining cost would still be difficult to afford.

Another challenge is that the state typically directs flood mitigation funding to areas facing life-threatening risks, putting communities like Steelville lower on the list.

“There are all these little places when they have floods, it’s lives that are at stake, where for us, (it’s a) huge inconvenience,” Ward said. “And so when the state looks at that, they prioritize it. And unfortunately, we’re not at the top of the list. Because, yeah, Steelville’s a problem, but nobody’s dying because of our floods.”

Because the Yadkin Creek is a natural waterway, the group is limited by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and DNR regulations on how much they can do themselves, including removing debris and altering banks. Receiving permits for these activities can be a slow process.

“We have to protect the town some way or another,” Duane DeRennaux said. “We can’t just keep kicking the can down the road. And these 100-year floods are coming every 50 years now.”

A few new ideas were tossed around for the group to work on moving forward. During a recent visit to Caledonia, Maureen Kush noticed how many sites in the town were on the National Register of Historic Places and suggested that Steelville follow suit.

“People who are big history buffs will use the National Register of Historic Places to plan trips,” she said. “So if we’re on that site, that’s one other avenue that’s going to drive business, and especially because we have Route 66.”

Administered by the National Park Service, the designation deems a site worthy of preservation due to its historical significance. Steelville currently has two sites on the register: Big Bend Rural School and the Snelson-Brinker House.

For a property to be added, it generally needs to be at least 50 years old, retain its historical integrity and have local significance. The nomination process goes through the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office before federal approval. Kush thinks this could be doable for many buildings in Steelville.

The group would also like to do a community cleanup sometime before Memorial Day weekend to help beautify the streets before tourists start coming into town.

DeRennaux suggested the group send one or two representatives to regularly attend Board of Aldermen meetings. 

“I can see where this group could be hand in hand with the city,” he said.

At the next meeting, members plan to each come with a list of their top three priorities for the town so the group can narrow down its efforts. Subcommittees will be organized around these priorities so that each member can support the causes they’re most interested in.

“It’s easy to get frustrated when you want everything done, because we do — we’re here because we love this town,” Ward said. “We want the best for this town. But we just need to also know the limitations of this as a small town. And it’s gonna take a little bit of time and a little bit of effort.”

Steelville Forward will continue to meet the last Monday of every month, with next month’s meeting falling on April 27. The location is still up in the air as the group decides which local business to support next. New members are always welcome.