HOULTON – It is no secret that many residents feel that Houlton’s historic downtown needs a spark to fire its economy.

In the coming week, town officials hope the public will help kindle the blaze.

A public workshop to brainstorm ways to revitalize the downtown will be held at the Gentle Memorial Building The public workshop will run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27. The goal of the event is to find ways to draw more residents and businesses to the area, both to pour money into the coffers of downtown shops and to nourish what many consider the heart of the town.

Don Keiser, grant writer and planning administrator for the town, said Friday that the idea for the workshop stemmed from elevated community conversations about breathing life into Market Square.

“When you do a planning project, you need to get input from the entire community,” he explained. “What happens in the downtown happens to the rest of the community, and vice versa. I look at this meeting as the beginning of a dialogue that will revitalize our downtown.”

The workshop is possible thanks to a $10,000 grant that the town nabbed last October. The forum will be facilitated by Kent Associates Planning & Design.

The workshop, Keiser explained, will be different from similar forums held last spring. Five public sessions were held to garner input for an economic development and strategic marketing plan that the town was developing. The issue of the downtown generated more ideas and discussion than any other topic brought to the table.

At several of the meetings, residents expressed a desire to see Market Square become a center of art and culture, tourism, and public events. Keiser said Friday that those ideas will help officials at the upcoming workshop.

“Several people spoke up last spring and said that they wished they had a place to go at night,” he noted. “Many people said that they wanted to see downtown businesses open longer hours, and that they would go down there if there were places open at 7 p.m. or later. I’m sure we’ll consider that during the workshop.”

Many residents recognize, however, that there are problems with Market Square that also need to be addressed. Planning board members deliberated last year about the number of buildings in the downtown that have vacant floors or decrepit interiors. In July, the board weighed the possibility of easing an area housing crunch by renovating the upper levels of those buildings.

“Discussion about the condition of the buildings could also open up the door for some state and federal [funding] assistance,” Keiser added. “There are many possibilities that need to be looked at.”

The ideas will be presented to the Town Council, the grant writer said, so they can use the input to solidify a future economic plan for the municipality.