The above views of Main St. to the north and south may not have a nostalgic feel, or bring back memories of an earlier time. The are just what the street is during a typical day.

Crete’s downtown still has a solid foundation and a good base for growth according to city and business officials.

Stemming from the Dec. 16 fire in the basement of the former Siedhoff Shoe store at 1215 Main, the downtown building was condemned.

After the first of the year, Tom Ourada, city director of Public Works and Ray Sueper, city building inspector, assumed the task of walking through all downtown buildings to check the status of structures and basement fire separations. The outcome was a positive one.

“Generally most of downtown is in good shape,” Sueper said. “It was good to see that.”

Sueper said the inspections did reveal a few issues not up to code with proper fire separation requirements, however, he said building owners were quick to respond to solutions. The standard for basements in adjoining buildings is a one-hour fire separation with the use of certain types of materials for doors and walls, etc.

Sueper said there has also been progress in work on the condemned structure and he has been talking with the current owners of the building.

Ourada said other good news for some downtown areas has to do with the flood plain designations. A new flood plain study may create new boundaries and areas of downtown may be removed from the designation when they take affect in October.

Sueper said this may open the door to potential modernizations to some downtown businesses if owners wish to take advantage. Current standards state buildings located in the flood plain cannot be improved more that 50 percent of their current value.

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Several businesses have had their home on Main St. for many years and they plan to stay there.

Tom Sorensen moved to his building at 1132 Main after purchasing the building (the former New Beginnings) and renovating it in 1992.

“It’s been very positive for us,” he said. “Main St. is the center of activity.”

Sorensen acknowledged the few retail stores downtown, but said space has become occupied by many professional business and offices. He said the customer parking  is a major advantage to a business on Main.

Four banks are located downtown, three on Main and one just a block to the east. Main St. sports several businesses that would have been part of a traditional Crete business district: a hardware store, barber shop, tailor, grocery, lawyer, several bars, banks and resaturants.

Bill Wenz, who has owned downtown buildings with his sons since the 1990s, said he thinks there could be more progress with the different flood plain designations.

“I see the ability to build more,” he said.

He recalled, when he bought and renovated his first buildings on the west side of the block, north of 13th, businesses started moving in and the block developed.

The changing face of Crete’s downtown has less retail than it did when the Ben Franklins, Gambles and JC Penneys  took up space, but the gaps have been filled with new types of businesses and services, even a church.

Main Street in Crete will continue to change and develop over time, with new funds, building owners and ideas. The view will change a little, but the core and foundation of Crete’s past is still there.