But the street's drabness kept that vitality from shining through. The Forest Park Main Street Redevelopment program offers grants and financial incentives to encourage owners to repair their storefronts. The sidewalks and streetscape were dramatically improved under the program, giving the street a fountain, brick planters and quality paving. Better-scaled streetlights were installed, and the utility lines were buried. Madison looks alive and poised, a nice backdrop for the commercial architecture being resurrected.
Some stores have turrets, bow windows and other Victorian influences.
The corner building is empty, but a village-commissioned study has recommended saving it, Korman said. Co-owner Rick Stephanie said the program attracted him and his two business partners to the street last year. Stephanie said the program helped them rehab the store, put up signs, build a side entrance, and tackle the expensive job of repairing exterior brick limestone. The repairs have been sometimes painful, but it's turned out all right. There is talk of putting Madison Street on the National Register of Historic Places.