The Main Street Approach

March 10th, 2009 by Mike Knutson

Downtown and Main Street revitalization is on a lot of people’s minds. Everybody wants their main street to be vibrant, but most of us don’t know what we can do to make it happen. Ask Eric Ambroson of Planning and Development District III in Yankton, South, and he’ll recommend you consider implementing the National Trust’s Main Street Approach.

Since Eric has worked with the program himself, I asked him to share some information with us in the following interview.

Eric Ambroson, community development specialist

What did District III do to implement (or promote) the Main Street Program in your region?
I have to give credit Doris Roden, former Director of Downtown Brookings, for bringing in Stephanie Redman and John Mitterholzer of the National Trust’s Main Street Center in 2001 to present information about the Main Street Program to a group of South Dakota development professionals. They really opened my eyes to the potential of downtown revitalization. The troubling fact was that South Dakota did not have a central organization to work with communities on the Main Street Approach. The group agreed that the state should have a coordinating program, but not much was done about it.

A couple of years later, District III applied to USDA Rural Development for a grant to do the same things a statewide program would do. We were awarded a grant in 2004. The idea is that we would go to a few communities and work with them on setting up a local organization that follows the Four Point Approach.

In 2006, District III hosted a Main Street Basic Training conference in Mitchell. The conference focused on the details of the Four Point Approach to downtown revitalization. Lauren Adkins and Todd Barmann from the Main Street Center shared the presentation duties and were extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

One success story that came out of this process is the Mitchell Main Street and Beyond organization. I met with them periodically for one year, helping them get organized. They are a great group to work with! Everyone there is energized and committed to moving downtown Mitchell forward.

Main Street Approach

View more presentations from ReImagineRural. (tags: south dakota)

Eric gave me permission to post the above presentation he made to the South Dakota Municipal League in 2007. Slides 12 & 13 reference Four Point Approach Eric describes below.

Can you describe how the Main Street Program works and why it’s important to rural communities?
In 1977, the National Trust worked on a pilot Main Street Program in three communities; one of which was Hot Springs, SD. Each community had their own success story: sales tax increases, building restorations, and private investment. By 1980, they had essentially “patented” a Four Point Approach to downtown revitalization. The National Trust’s Main Street Center went national shortly after.

The Four Point is a comprehensive strategy that is tailored to meet local needs and opportunities. It encompasses work in four distinct areas - Design, Economic Restructuring, Promotion, and Organization - that are combined to address all of the commercial district’s needs. A main street program will organize a committee for each of the Four Points. It’s important to recruit people that are interested in each Point and willing to work with volunteers to achieve the goals of the organization.

The topics covered in the Four Points are essential to a successful revitalization program. If a community does not address all of them, they may be setting themselves up for failure. Each point acts like a spoke in a wheel; each must be provided equal attention. For example, if a community is “event-heavy,” it may fail to recognize the importance of attractive storefronts or developing public-private partnerships to the group’s mission.

The Four Point model is an excellent teaching tool for any community development effort. For example, Habitat for Humanity uses a similar model in their housing efforts, except the key elements of their approach focus on family selection, nurturing, homebuilding, and finance. Any group that is working towards the betterment of their town can reflect on the issues that are critical to their development mission and design a committee structure to realize their vision.

Can small, rural towns implement the Main Street program? Do you know of any examples of towns under 4000 that have had success with the program?
Absolutely! Size does not matter with the Main Street Program. The only differences between a large urban area and a small town organization are the scope of their work plan and their budget. Referring back to the Iowa Main Street Program, there are several small communities that have received assistance from the state coordinating program.

Check out this link to see how the program’s impact on Iowa’s small towns.

Most of the rural communities served by the Iowa Main Street Program observed a net gain in business startups and jobs created. Each community reported numerous building rehabilitations. The most telling sign of success is the amount of private dollars invested in building acquisition and rehab. This is the most critical lesson that South Dakota towns can benefit from; if the public can play a small role in spurring private investment, the benefits realized by the community will come back in spades. You will notice in the report that most of the rural communities have been doing this for at least ten years, which brings up the principles of incremental steps and stick-to-itiveness (in the next post).

Planning and Development District III is a planning district located in Yankton, SD. Eric is a Community Development Specialist, specializing in town planning and design as well as specific studies such as strategic housing plans.

Note: Check back tomorrow. Eric will share some “Tips and Tricks” concerning the Main Street Program.

Share and Enjoy: