Adding historic bling to downtown Vernal is just the beginning of plans being brewed by the 5th to 5th Revitalization Committee. Working with the Regional History Center, the group helped spruce up downtown this week with enlarged historic photos put on display in existing and, in some cases, vacant store windows. “We are doing what we can to help increase foot traffic downtown and spur economic growth,” shares Committee member Joel Brown. “We’re also talking about beautifying downtown further with park benches and more art.” Among the favorite ideas the Committee has explored is to have fun dinosaur statues placed on and around the buildings. “We haven’t finalized any plans but we know we want dinosaurs to be part of whatever we do,” says Brown. Adding color and culture to a downtown using statues is not a new idea and the Committee has spent time exploring similar ideas successfully used by other cities. For now, however, locals are encouraged to make their way downtown this week for Holly Days and check out the store windows for some amazing historic art focused on downtown Vernal.
