It is an exciting time to be involved in the overall rehabilitation of the Centralia Historic District. This past spring several of the downtown business folks attended the introduction to the National Main Street Program sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation at the Main Street Convention in Seattle with the new Economic Development Director, Polo Enriquez. We attended representing the Wilson Hotel rehabilitation project.
It was a day full of education and enlightenment. Hearing about the success stories of other historic towns that were economically and physically run down in serious blight conditions making a comeback to become thriving commerce districts was truly inspiring. Described below are the four points of the Main Street approach as described on the Main Street web site. These points work together to build a sustainable and complete community revitalization effort. 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 standing 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, 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.
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, parking areas, building improvements, street furniture, signs, sidewalks, street 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 in the commercial district, enhancing the physical appearance of the commercial district by rehabilitating historic buildings, encouraging appropriate new construction, developing sensitive design management systems, and long-term planning.
Economic Restructuring 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 and recruits compatible new businesses and new economic uses to build a commercial district that responds to today’s consumers’ needs. Converting unused or underused commercial space into economically productive property also helps boost the profitability of the district. The new CDA (Centralia Downtown Association) has yet to officially determine if the organization will become fully vested and become an official Main Street location or simply adopt the Main Street approach to the economic revitalization currently underway. The CDA leadership team and new membership base will make the final decision on how to best bring the Centralia Historic District into a new era of prosperity. Either way, much can be learned from the success of others who have taken the Main Street journey and invested their efforts into rebuilding their communities.
To find out more about the National Main Street program sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, visit www.mainstreet.org .
