Downtown Environment
The Downtown Action Team (DAT) promotes enhancement of the downtown vibrancy and innovation for the future desired by our residents while maintaining New Ulm’s charm and tradition.
Recent Projects and Accomplishments
Community Photo Shoot and Collage
In the spring of 2024, the Downtown Action Team helped pull together more than 400 individuals and groups from all walks of life, ranging in age from three months old to age 100, to pose for photos for a Community Collage. The purpose of the project was to capture a snapshot of New Ulm, celebrating the heritage of all community members and bringing the community together.
In October 2024, the team worked with professional photographer Josh Madson to create the new 30' x 10' Community Collage that was installed on the Center Street side of the Thimble Box building at 2. S. Minnesota Street.
Farmers Market New Location and Additional Activities
In 2024, the Downtown Action Team helped facilitate a move for the New Ulm Farmers Market to a new location downtown at 15 S. Broadway (A to Zinnia parking lot) that provides more visibility than the previous location. The team reached out to various community groups to add a variety of additional activities, such as working with ProKinship For Kids to offer a variety of games.
In 2023, building on the success of the previous year, the team worked to offer a variety of additional activities for both kids and adults at the Saturday farmers market, including 4-H showings, live music, a New Ulm information booth, bean bag toss, coloring sheets, sidewalk chalk and a trivia wheel in addition to the fresh produce, handmade crafts and baked goods.
Downtown Parklets
In 2023, downtown New Ulm welcomed two new public parklets at Lakes on 1st and Sweethaven Tonics to help encourage people to stay and enjoy the downtown area. Parklets are structures that convert one or more on-street parking spaces into public open space. They are a simple way to increase foot traffic and seating space and encourage inviting commercial districts. The City Council adopted a Parklet Policy for downtown in 2022, which increases outdoor seating.
Engaging Leaders to Strengthen and Revitalize Downtown
Photo credit: The Journal
- Over the last several years, the Downtown Action Team has been working with Strong Towns' executive director Charles Marohn, a professional engineer and land use planner, to provide additional insight and knowledge on ways to strengthen and revitalize New Ulm. Following visits and presentations from Marohn in 2021 and 2022, the Downtown Action Team continued discussions in 2023 to educate community leaders and engage them in the work to strengthen and revitalize New Ulm.
- The team also began discussions with the City of New Ulm about possible improvements to the Minnesota and Center Street intersection in order to enhance vitality and promote active transportation.
Holiday Storefront Decorating Contest
For 2024, the Downtown Action Team continued the annual decorating competition – Festive Facades: A Holiday Storefront Decorating Contest — that it started in November 2023. The competition aims to showcase the creativity and holiday spirit of local businesses while spreading joy and excitement throughout the community. The friendly competition is a way for local businesses to share in a sense of community and help enhance the charm of New Ulm. The public is invited to vote for their favorite storefront and the top three businesses with the most votes each win Chamber Dollars.
Nuvera Building Mural
Public art has the power to transform a community. It’s a positive way to impact a neighborhood, providing a work of beauty for all to enjoy. Public art sparks conversation, builds community respect, and creates a welcoming environment.
With this in mind, the Downtown Action Team sponsored a call for artists to create a mural on the exterior of the Nuvera building in the city’s historic downtown at 1st North and North Minnesota Streets. In the fall of 2022, Chuck Bennis of Brookings, South Dakota, completed the beautiful mural. The project was funded by the EDA, Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the New Ulm Area Foundation. The mural is slated to add a plaque, which will include an artist’s statement and identification for the different elements of the artwork.
Downtown Parking Lots
With financial support from the Minnesota Main Street program, the Downtown Action Team has helped make parking an easier experience for people visiting downtown New Ulm. The team helped identify available parking and created an easy-to-read map showing the lots and any time restrictions for parking. The map also shows points of interest and the nine tables featuring historical information about New Ulm. Bicycle parking racks are also available downtown to make it easy for bicyclists to visit downtown businesses.
Downtown Window Painting
Over the winter, volunteers have painted vacant building windows with winter scenes to give the downtown scene more vibrancy.
New Ulm Downtown Assessment
This fact sheet summarizes the results of a New Ulm Downtown Assessment conducted in 2019 by Rethos and highlights what the Downtown Action Team is working on.
Want to Make a Difference?
Send us a message and we'll help you connect to an initiative that interests you!