Quincy’s Downtown Glow-Up Continues Along 6th Street Promenade
A new mural, a striking exterior renovation at EFB Coffee and continued public investment are giving one of downtown Quincy’s most active gathering spaces a fresh look just in time for the Quincy Makers Market.
QUINCY, Ill. Visitors heading downtown for this weekend’s Quincy Makers Market may notice that the 6th Street Promenade looks a little different than it did just a few weeks ago.
A series of recent improvements has brought new color and renewed attention to the pedestrian-friendly corridor, continuing the transformation of an area that has become an increasingly important gathering place in downtown Quincy.
The timing is fitting. The Quincy Makers Market returns Friday, Sept. 18, from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 19, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., filling 6th Street between Maine and Vermont streets with artists, makers, merchants, food trucks, music and activities.
For those who have not visited the promenade recently, there will be several new sights waiting.
A Fresh Look at EFB Coffee
One of the most noticeable transformations can be found at the corner of 6th and Hampshire, where the building housing Electric Fountain Brewing, better known as EFB Coffee, at 534 Hampshire Street has received a substantial exterior facelift.
The renovation has given the corner property a cleaner, more contemporary appearance while maintaining its place within the historic downtown streetscape.
The changes are particularly visible from the promenade, where the building occupies a prominent corner along one of downtown’s busiest event corridors.
For a business already serving as a regular stop for coffee, meetings and downtown visitors, the exterior work gives the property a more polished presence along the block.
New Mural Brings More Color to the Promenade
Just days before the EFB improvements drew attention, another major visual addition was completed nearby.
Artist Jaycie Womack Spake recently finished a large mural on the side of the building at 114 N. 6th Street, directly along the promenade.
The colorful work incorporates imagery celebrating Quincy, including a prominent depiction of the Bayview Bridge and other locally inspired elements.
The project had been years in development through the Quincy Public Art Commission.
Funding came from private donors, with nearly half of the mural underwritten through an Ameren grant.
The result adds another piece of public art to a downtown corridor that has increasingly been designed not simply as a street, but as a destination.
From Street to Gathering Place
The 6th Street Promenade has become one of downtown Quincy’s most recognizable event spaces in recent years.
Its renovated streetscape provides an area for outdoor markets, community gatherings and pedestrian activity while connecting businesses between Maine and Vermont streets.
The Quincy Makers Market describes the promenade as an accessible downtown venue, noting that renovations have improved accessibility for many businesses along 6th Street.
Throughout the year, the area hosts farmers markets, night markets, Makers Markets and other downtown events that place local businesses, artisans and visitors within walking distance of one another.
This weekend will offer one of the largest examples.
The September Makers Market will again transform several downtown blocks into an open-air marketplace filled with handmade goods, vintage items, baked goods, food trucks, live music and children’s activities.
For visitors looking to make a weekend of downtown Quincy, lodging has also begun appearing directly around the promenade. The 6th Street Promenade Hideaway, a short-term rental listed through Airbnb, offers accommodations immediately within the district and within walking distance of events and downtown businesses.
More Improvements Could Still Be Ahead
Old Downtown, New Energy
Downtown Quincy’s history is written into its architecture.
Many of the buildings lining Maine, Hampshire and the surrounding streets date to eras when downtown served as the commercial heart of the region.
The challenge for any historic downtown is finding ways to preserve that character while making those same blocks useful, attractive and economically viable for another generation.
Along 6th Street, that process is increasingly visible.
No single improvement transforms a downtown by itself. Taken together, however, those investments can change how a district looks, how it feels and, perhaps most importantly, whether people have a reason to spend time there.
This weekend, thousands of footsteps through the Quincy Makers Market will provide another opportunity to see that evolution firsthand.
And there could be considerably more to come.
