The Main Street Approach
Organization involves getting everyone working toward the same goal and assembling the appropriate human and financial resources to implement a Main Street revitalization program.
A governing board and volunteers or specific project committees make up the fundamental organizational structure of the volunteer-driven program. Volunteers are coordinated and supported by a paid program director as well.
This structure not only divides the workload and clearly delineates responsibilities, but also builds consensus and cooperation among the various stakeholders.
Promotion sells a positive image of the commercial district and encourages consumers and investors to live, work, shop, play and invest in the Main Street district.
By marketing a district’s unique characteristics to residents, investors, business owners and visitors, an effective promotional strategy forges a positive image through advertising, media relations, retail promotional activity, special events and marketing campaigns carried out by local volunteers.
These activities improve consumer and investor confidence in the district and encourage commercial activity and investment in the area by identifying and appealing to the district’s market niches.
Design means getting Main Street into top physical shape. Capitalizing on its best assets — such as historic buildings and pedestrian-oriented streets — is just part of the story.
An inviting atmosphere, created through attractive window displays, well-managed parking areas, building improvements, street furniture, signs, sidewalks, lights and landscaping, conveys a positive visual message about the commercial district and what it has to offer.
Design activities also include instilling good maintenance practices, as well as enhancing the physical appearance of the district and creating new productive commercial or residential space by rehabilitating historic buildings, encouraging appropriate new construction, developing sensible design management systems, and long-term planning.
Economic Vitality strengthens a community’s existing economic assets while expanding and diversifying its economic base.
The Main Street program helps sharpen the competitiveness of existing business owners, helps to foster entrepreneurial start-ups and expansions, and recruits compatible new businesses and new economic uses to build a commercial district to create jobs and to respond to today’s consumers’ needs.
Converting unused or underused commercial space into economically productive property also helps boost the profitability and sales tax revenue of the district.