A new group in Manatee County is dedicated to bringing more visitors to the town of Parrish, and keeping them there.
Parrish has a lot of historic value, including a popular railroad museum that draws thousands of visitors a year. However, other than that, residents say there isn't much to do.
“They have nowhere to go," said History Of Parrish Endeavor member Gretchen Fowler. "They have nothing to do, then they leave. So there is no economy brought and kept in Parrish.”
Rob Kolanowski owns an antique shop across from the railroad museum. It’s one of the only stores in town. His customers usually head over after their train ride and buy a souvenir.
“It’s kind of a different store, so people stay for hours,” said Kolanowski, the owner of Cecil's Emporium.
However after leaving Cecil's Emporium, visitors have no other reason to stay in the area.
Fowler and Norma Kennedy are two of the founders of H.O.P.E -- a new group dedicated to preserving Parrish’s character and helping it grow into a place people want to visit.
“What we envision is we will have a little walkable area that will bring people to that center,” said Fowler.
“Meet your neighbors at a coffee shop," said Kennedy. "Have sidewalks that you could ride bikes on or whatever. Just to bring the community together.”
Time is of the essence for the group. The Fort Hammer Bridge Project is underway and eventually there will be a road taking cars directly to I-75, bypassing Parrish completely.
“If we don’t do something, it’s going to just be blight," Fowler said. "There is not going to be anything here because nothing is going to be built.”
One of the first things the group is working on is convincing Manatee County that Parrish needs a sewer system. Right now the town only has septic systems, and this is another reason why businesses do not want to move to Parrish.
The group says they won’t let that happen. They are already restoring historic buildings and they have diverse members including architects, engineers, business owners and residents working together to come up with a master plan that will make Parrish a place you need to see.