ABOVE: A look at a completed portion of the ‘Hub,’ which will be located at 103 W. 1st Street in Fairmont.

FAIRMONT– Imagine Martin, a new non-profit focused on the arts in the county, is working on its latest project– a community information hub and gift shop– which will be located on Downtown Plaza in Fairmont. The hub is expected to be complete this spring.

Jeff Rouse, Imagine Martin’s chairman, said that the board had recognized a need for visitors to the community to find information on what’s offered in all of Martin County.

“Several of our board members have visited with these tourists and found that they were hungry to find out things to do, to see, shop and eat,” Rouse said.

He himself witnessed it when stumbling upon visitors checking out all of the Going Hog Wild hog statues, which are saturated on Downtown Plaza.

“With the number of people coming from near and far to look at the hogs, they were meeting our goal of asking where they can eat or stay or shop– not just in Fairmont but in the county. We felt that there was a need for a location where they could get this information to enhance their visit,” Rouse said.

In looking for a location, Rouse said that the board acknowledged that most people visiting a community have a tendency to visit its downtown.

“We thought having it located in downtown Fairmont– the county seat–was the perfect decision,” he said.

The hub will be located at 103 W. 1st Street, which is right off Downtown Plaza in Fairmont. The space is currently Our Story Studios but work has begun to transform the space into the Imagine Martin community information hub and gift shop.

Rouse said that in order to make the transformation happen, businesses and organizations have stepped forward to support it. The entrance to the building will get a major facelift.

“You’ll find logos of each of the towns in Martin County, a map of the Chain of Lakes in Fairmont featuring anything around them and signs for the eight featured sponsors,” Rouse said.

Right now these include Martin County Economic Development Authority (EDA), Martin County Historical Society, Martin County Pork Producers, Central Farm Services (CFS) in Truman, American Legion Lee C. Prentice Post 36, Kim Kreiss EXIT Realty- Great Plains and Fairmont National Agency. There is still space for one more featured sponsor.

Also included at the entrance to the hub will be 60 brochure boxes allowing 24 hour access to information about businesses, organizations, attractions and happenings around the entire county.

Joshua Schuetz, a representative of the Martin County EDA, said that he thinks the hub will be good for both visitors and residents to have a single spot where they can view the businesses and resources in the county.

“It’s nice to have a spot for people to view them and the downtown location makes sense because that’s where people are going to eat and see shows and things like that,” Schuetz said. “Someone could grab a bite to eat, grab a brochure and go back to their hotel and say, ‘we’ll check out these things tomorrow.'”

Inside the hub, people will find the gift shop, which will allow residents and visits alike to

purchase merchandise or apparel representing the communities, businesses or organizations around the county.

“There will also be an art gallery, which will be ever-changing and include paintings, photographs and artistic crafts for sale. They’re all created by Martin County artists,” Rouse explained.

Finally, the hub will feature a book nook, where people can find books written about Martin County.

“Throughout the year the hub will hold events that spotlight Marin County artists and authors,” Rouse said.

This is made possible in part thanks to a grant Imagine Martin received from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council.

Rouse said the goal is for the hub to be open April 1, in time for the increase in foot traffic that Downtown Plaza sees throughout the spring and summer months.

“We’re very excited about this project and are looking forward to working with anyone who shares the same goal and wants to be a part of it,” Rouse said. “The hub is not necessarily the destination– it’s the starting point. We want people to find out about all of the businesses and points of interest so that they can visit them.”

More information on the hub can be found online at imaginemartin.com.