Williamsville Didn't Just Imagine a New Spring Street. It Tried One On.

For generations, the historic Williamsville Water Mill had been at the heart of the Village. But the surrounding East Spring Street district had lost much of its connection to the community. Cars and parking lots occupied spaces that once brought people together.

Village leaders wanted to imagine a different future. But how do you help a community see the potential in a place they've grown accustomed to overlooking?

Instead of asking people to imagine a new streetscape from drawings, they invited them to experience one.

For an entire week, East Spring Street became something different. Parking areas transformed into places to gather. Pedestrian-friendly spaces invited people to linger. A festival brought residents and visitors into a district they might otherwise have passed through.

People weren't just looking at a proposed future.

They were living in it.

And something shifted. The conversation was no longer simply about what the street could look like. It was about what the district could mean to the community again.

That shared experience helped build momentum for revitalization, reconnecting the historic Mill and surrounding district with everyday community life.

Today, East Spring Street welcomes visitors, farmers' markets, and community celebrations. A place once dominated by cars has become a place where people want to spend time.