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The first seed of growth has been planted in downtown Olathe with the opening of Pizza 51 this summer.
"We've been welcomed with open arms, and everybody's been really excited about the opportunity of bringing restaurants to downtown Olathe," said Jason Pryor, Pizza 51 owner.
Pryor says his restaurant is just the beginning of a larger revitalization effort.
"Once you plant the seed, everything will grow around it," Pryor said.
The city and chamber announced plans for multiple new bars and restaurants earlier this year. Officials are now hoping to attract more housing, retail, and even a permanent farmers market, similar to what Overland Park is rebuilding and what Lee's Summit opened recently.
Tim McKee, Olathe Chamber CEO, envisions creating an entertainment district in the downtown area.
"Because right now, this is not on people's patterns of where they're going to eat and going out for entertainment," McKee said.
McKee says this has been a long-standing issue for the area.
"I've been working here since '98 and we haven't had that,” said McKee. “We hope to change that in the future.”
Downtown events have already helped build momentum, with about 5,000 visitors attending each First Friday's event. The focus now is to maintain this growth.
"Make this a better place to live, things to do more, you know, not only just restaurants, but just, you know, quality of life and things," Olathe Convention and Visitors Bureau Vice President Kelly Peetoom said.
Back at Pizza 51, they're waiting for the rest of downtown to bloom.
"I think you have to plant the seed. If you have places for everybody to dine and drink and have a good time, and the entertainment, the density and the population, will follow," Pryor said.
The Chamber expects next summer for the area to start looking very different, especially with the RFP for a permanent farmers market in progress.
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