‘The picture of our community.’ Missouri Main Street honors LS biz owners, volunteers

Nick Parker said being a volunteer for Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street allows a person to have a unique perspective on the community.

“There are countless civic, charitable and nonprofit groups in Lee’s Summit, but one of the reasons we continue to be so involved with downtown is its role in the broader community,” Parker said. The area, after all, is a major economic driver for the city, Parker said.

“As a volunteer with this organization, you get a clear picture of its impact on the community,” he said. “Its broad reach to residents and visitors from all backgrounds really gives volunteers and staff a feeling of accomplishment and belonging to a place in town that is literally the picture of our community.”

Parker has gotten something else for his efforts: recognition.

He has been named Volunteer of the Year by the Missouri Main Street Connection Inc., which recently honored — in a virtual ceremony — communities, individuals, businesses and organizations for exemplary revitalization work.

John and Kim Carlson received the “Best Façade Rehabilitation over $10,000” award for their restoration of 22 S.W. Third St. Arcade Alley was recognized as a semi-finalist for “Most Innovative Project for Repurposing Vacant Space.”

Parker has volunteered for Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street since 2012. He is a member of its Downtown Days Committee, Emerald Isle Parade Committee, Organization Committee, Economic Enhancement Committee and serves on the board of directors.

Parker was praised for his help in navigating events and projects during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Every non-profit, business and even person has felt the effects of this pandemic,” Parker said. “It is shared by all.”

Among his duties is helping decide on canceling events, including the Emerald Isle Parade earlier on in the health crisis. Parker said the Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street staff did an great job assessing risks.

“Sitting in that room with staff gave me an even better perspective on the work that team does and how they constantly strive to do what’s best for the downtown district’s businesses and residents,” Parker said.

The Carlsons say they always wanted a building in Downtown Lee’s Summit.

“I basically like to fix old things that are broken or need to be restored or refurbished,” said John Carlson.

The Carlsons purchased the Third Street property in 2019. The 1886 building, one of the oldest in Downtown Lee’s Summit, housed the Do Drop Inn from 1961 to 2019. The Carlsons restored the building’s exterior to look like it did when it was first constructed. It now home to Sabor Latino Restaurant.

“Revealing the original 1886 storefront architecture and the side arch windows was very exciting,” John Carlson said. “Once I saw that some of the original storefront was intact, we knew the restoration had to happen. The storefront and side arch windows had been completely covered and unseen for about 50 years.”

Kim Carlson said the best surprise of the project was meeting the community.

“Everyone was very friendly, helpful and encouraging,” she said. “Downtown Lee’s Summit is truly blessed with a great community of people. Every ‘demo day’ was like Christmas. As we peeled away 60 years of Do Drop Inn construction and renovations, we were amazed at finding original brick arches, 13-foot original ceilings, artifacts, and a hidden door that hadn’t been seen in decades.”

Arcade Alley Owners Pat Maloney and Alex Ruiz renovated the former Lee’s Summit Dry Cleaners building from the ground up to bring a new concept in dining and entertainment.

Pat Maloney said the project was spurred in part because he and Ruiz live only a few blocks from downtown.

“We would always walk by this building and think about what could be a great addition to our downtown,” Maloney said. “After looking at the space ourselves and realizing how much potential the space had, we started to develop the idea of a vintage arcade. We were able to take some of the raw industrial style space and create something fun and exciting. This was one of those once in a lifetime projects that we couldn’t turn down.”

Ashley Nowell, assistant director of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, said nominations for these awards are submitted each year, yet the recognition this year was special.

“The awards are definitely important to us this year, especially during the pandemic,” Nowell said. “We were excited to share good news and celebrate the work that has been going on in Downtown Lee’s Summit.”