Wesley Knapp was previously involved in downtown redevelopment in Galveston, Texas

By ANN PIERCEALL

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

HANNIBAL, Mo. -- Wesley Knapp believes the historic downtown district in Hannibal can be revitalized.

Knapp, 49, has been hired as the city's downtown development director, a position created at the suggestion of the state DREAM Initiative. The city received a two-year, $100,000 Community Betterment Block Grant in December to hire a downtown development director.

Knapp also will serve as the new executive director of the Hannibal Community Betterment Association. He was deeply involved in downtown redevelopment in Galveston, Texas. That southern resort is considered the top vacation destination in Texas, and Knapp wants to do the same thing with Hannibal.

"I think making the downtown a livable downtown is probably our priority," said Knapp, who was selected from a field of 20 candidates. "As an outsider, I have fresh vision and I also know what can happen when people really put forth the effort to do revitalization."

A handful of lofts are now occupied downtown, mostly by people who own businesses at street level. The Mark Twain Apartments building on South Main has 25 of its 34 units rented by senior citizens.

Knapp said "quiet zones" need to be established to entice residents to live downtown, an endeavor he admits will be expensive. He said many buildings need to be renovated to provide rentable space, amenities like a small downtown grocery is needed, and streets and sidewalks need to be improved.

"Those sorts of things are already in the works. It takes time for some of these things," he said. "The biggest hurdle is probably the railroad noise. It's an annoyance to everybody."

Hannibal is in its second year of its three-year DREAM Initiative designation. DREAM designated cities partner for three years with the state to allow better access to tools and resources to bolster downtown redevelopment and revitalization, and attract new private investment opportunities.

That DREAM designation means assistance is available for structural improvements to the historic district. The section of Hannibal to benefit the most from the DREAM Initiative runs from Grand Avenue east to the riverfront, and roughly from Fulton Avenue north to Riverview Park

HCBA board member Kristy Trevathan was part of the development director selection committee. She said Knapp stood out for "several reasons," including his efforts in Galveston and familiarity with real estate and historic renovation, as well as his technological savvy and his grantwriting skills.

"When we looked into his background he was so multi-faceted ... he could see Hannibal was a diamond in the rough with all this potential that was really struggling to sell itself," she said.

"He'll hit the ground running because there just isn't a lot of time," said Terry Sampson, executive director for the Hannibal Area Chamber of Commerce. "He just seems to fit real well for what we were looking for what we wanted to do."

Knapp said the high costs of living in Galveston, much of it brought on by the annual hurricane season, was a reason why he and his wife, Rhonda, were looking for a new place to live. He said he had been to Hannibal six times in the past year looking at retail and residential properties, with an eye on making an investment.

"(This) was exactly what we intended to do anyway on our own," he said. "As soon as I saw the position posted I said 'That's my job right there.' It kind of sped things up by about six or eight months."

-- apierceall@whig.com/(573) 221-5879