Some taxpayers might balk at the idea of investing in the improvement and preservation of the Carnegie Center.

That is a short-sighted perspective.

The preservation of historic sites, buildings and history have been key to the redevelopment of a countless array of cities of all sizes around the U.S. And the data is clear. From Miami Beach to San Antonio to Sante Fe, preserving essential icons of the past have been keys to attracting investment, tourism; and cultivating civic pride.

The City of Minot has opted to invest in the revitalization of downtown. One might or might not agree with that strategy. Nationwide the data supports the city’s decision. It’s worked in so many other places. Growing suburbs have not demonstrated anything but tax base advantages… and that costs a fortune in infrastructure and municipal service delivery.

Historic preservation has been essential to the redevelopment of downtowns, which is essential to infusing cities all over the country. In a municipal budget, the investment of less than a millions dollars at the high end really not worth it?

Minot isn’t a national leader when it comes to preserving (and subsequently marketing) it’s real history. Why not? The alleged connection with Al Capone and booze importing here is quaint to 49 other states. No one today makes moral judgments on that. It’s absurd and selfish on behalf of some in Minot to want to deny or downplay that aspect of our history.

Minot Daily News would like to know if reader/residents believe that, beside Hostfest, what separates us from the hundreds of thousand of other small cities in the nation?

We can embrace our colorful past to promote future interest in Minot, as the “Little Chicago” effort seeks to do. Or we can disappear. There is a middle ground to which we need perhaps to navigate toward.