inspire progress. “An interview with City of Centralia.”
The City of Centralia is putting its focus on improving infrastructure and aesthetics with the playground project at Fairview Park, the historical buildings and lighting in downtown, and the upgrade of a new water treatment plant - which serves the following communities: Centralia, Central City, Hoffman, Irvington, Junction City, Odin, Richview, Sandoval, Walnut Hill, Wamac, Racoon Water District, and Kaskaskia College.
“Right now, we are looking at a dovetail of two different things: infrastructure rebuild and cosmetics of the city,” said Smith. “One comes before the other, but when opportunities present themselves, we think we can do a pretty good job of blending the two.”
“We are really focusing on trying to grow this community, and I think the council has given us that order. They want to see growth and revitalization,” added Sherman. “You’ve got to handle the hard infrastructure that you need to function as a community, and you also need to show investors and the community that you are making visual progress around the community.”
When discussing a target for cosmetic advancement, Smith said he and Sherman, as well as the city council and mayor, see downtown Centralia as top priority.
“There is a constant mindset of revitalization within our city and more particularly downtown. We are trying to be not so much hyper-focused on it, but knowledgeable that it is kind of the heart of the city,” Smith advised. “We’ve got a great council and mayor right now. Their view is something that we try to act on, and they put a precedent on revitalization of downtown.”
Sherman added that when discussing new infrastructure projects, the City takes Centralia’s history and identity into consideration.
“When we are doing these things, we are leaning into our culture and who we are as a community. We are trying to honor the history of the community, which has been here since before the Civil War,” Sherman explained. “Being able to highlight just how old this community is, how much history is here, and all the effort that people have put into this city is important.”
“Our partners are very important, and this is why we try to maintain good connections with all of our non-profits; like the Recreation Complex, the Historic Society, and the Cultural Society,” Sherman said. “We recognize that our partners do a lot of the main work in our community, and that extends to businesses.”
The city officials also commended the active entrepreneurs of Centralia whose efforts have aided the city in its vision to better its community.
“We are very fortunate right now. The people that are currently investing within the community are special people,” said Smith. “We are fortunate to be in the right place at the time and benefit from their hard work, dedication, and wanting Centralia to be a better place.”
Sherman concluded with, “We are fortunate that we have an outpouring of entrepreneurs that are investing in our community, showing that this is a great place to have a business grow, and that is being noticed by outside entrepreneurs. I think that’s a testament to Centralia.”
With numerous projects in the works, and several designed to enhance beautification and quality of life, the City of Centralia is poised for progress.