[Source: Brian Ahnmark, Coolidge Examiner] -- For the first time in a while, there's something new in downtown Coolidge. And it's not a business, a housing development or a park; it's an attitude. It's hope. Last week saw the arrival of Dolores Palma and Doyle Hyett, consultants with Virginia-based HyettPalma, a consulting firm that specializes in downtown revitalization projects. And take it from the experts: Downtown Coolidge is showing promise. "There is a lot going on downtown," Palma said. "The city has plans; there's San Carlos Park; we see the private sector making building improvements; and there are new businesses and buildings changing hands. There is a surprising amount of activity."
Hyett was originally a developer -- "a city planner gone bad, as we say in the business," Palma joked -- whose company dealt with historic properties. Palma, meanwhile, worked with the National Main Street Center as part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "We had done other planning work in the past, but we really loved working downtown," Palma said. The duo founded their firm in 1985 to satisfy a mutual love of providing downtown renaissance in partnership with communities. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
