The perception of Downtown St. Joseph

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Downtown business owners are looking to change the stigma surrounding the area.

The perception of Downtown St. Joseph for business owners is that it is a place they hold dear and have helped it grow throughout the years. Adrienne Waggoner is the owner of The Den and revl&co and is proud of how far the area has come.

"I've watched it morph from being 10 to 12 places to go visit to being over 40 to 50 locations," said Waggoner. "There's a lot of growth that has happened down here. There's been a lot of change that has happened."

Ashley Dawson is another business owner downtown. She owns The Story Collective and sees how some residents view downtown. She believes residents need to look beyond social media when thinking about downtown.

"If people haven't been downtown and you're only kind of taking social media comments for your perception of downtown, then I think that's pretty skewed," said Dawson.

Christian Mengel with the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau believes downtown isn't getting the credit it deserves. He thinks they are remembering what it used to be and not what it is.

"If I compare it to 15 years ago, downtown is totally revitalized," said Mengel. "I remember when everything was boarded up and the only businesses downtown were things I could count on one hand."

St. Joseph City Manager Mike Schumacher thinks the solution is simple for people to change their minds about Downtown St. Joseph.

"I think what is most important is go downtown and see for yourself," said Schumacher. "I encourage everyone to use the Show-Me State model and go down and explore for yourself. See what all downtown has to offer."

If you are interested in finding things to do, visit the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau website to learn about all the things going on in Downtown St. Joseph.