This weekend, Downtown Mansfield, Inc. presents the Secret City Tour: the Urban Living Edition on Saturday. The event offers self-guided tours of prominent, historic downtown buildings with access to ten properties including the second floor of 108 North Main Street (rear), 36 West Fourth Street and 14 South Park Street.
This is Downtown Mansfield’s (DMI) sixth Secret City tour. Previous tours included four downtown based tours and two residential home tours. Visitors gain access to places that go unnoticed and are largely unseen, places they can’t get into unless they raise their glance from street level to the second and third stories above their favorite haunts, stores, and restaurants.
“DMI has discovered that the audience ranges from curious community members, urban explorers and photographers and potential investors looking for no pressure opportunities to visit undeveloped spaces,” said Jamie Thompson, DMI co-director.
The Urban Living theme for Saturday’s tour was based upon previous audience feedback and the overall interest in downtown living.
This tour will include a few currently occupied spaces, with residents on hand available for discussion on the merits of living downtown, as well as currently developed, yet unoccupied spaces and rough opportunities all suitable for residential living,” explained Thompson. “Our hope is that similar to years past, one of our tour participants will come forward and invest in one of the many urban living opportunities in downtown Mansfield.”
Additionally, during the Secret City Tour, Niàbos Art will be open and featuring not only an art gallery but a living space as well.
“We were extremely honored to be a part of this year’s Secret City Tour,” said Violeta Chinni, the owner of Niàbos Art Gallery and resident of 14 South Park Street. The gallery will showcase the artwork of local artist Kevin Oswalt, an artist known in the Mansfield community.
“While as an artist I want my work to be seen and discovers, I am happy to be able to contribute to the Secret City Tour. I see this as giving back to my community while highlighting some of our iconic downtown spots, which are often the subjects of my paintings,” said Oswalt.
Tickets for the Secret City tour are $20 per person and will be available for presale online at www.secretcitytour2014.eventbrite.com or at 1 p.m. on event day at the DMI office, 101 ½ North Main Street in the historic Carrousel District.
Participants are advised to wear appropriate clothing and shoes, spaces are safe and free of debris, but require walking, climbing stairs and are currently undeveloped. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the spaces. For additional information, please contact 419-522-0099 or info@downtownmansfield.com
Downtown Mansfield, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to stimulate economic development, improve the appearance and create a positive image of the downtown as a desirable place to work, live, shop and invest.
