Oregon Main Street Program

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Oregon Main Street Program October 6, 2008
The MAIN STREET APPROACH an Economic Development
Tool
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Why is Downtown Important?

• Symbol of economic health and community pride
• Preserve heritage of the city and community
• Supports local independent businesses that create
  jobs and keep dollars in the local community
• Where arts and culture thrive
• Heart of community government, churches, and
  finance
• Industrial, commercial, and professional
  recruitment
• Stimulates local economy through restoration
  projects
• Can be an important tourist destination
• Incubators for entrepreneurs
• Helps reduce sprawl

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What Happened to Downtown Commercial Districts?

• Post War
• Urban Renewal(?)
• modernization
• Suburb housing
• Car use
• Zoning
• Shopping centers, commercial strip, malls
• parking lots

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Responding to Impacts

• Experiments
• Redevelopment
• Lifestyle centers
• Pedestrian malls
• Themes

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Learning from Experience

• Mall management
• Business mix
• Promotion
• Business Hours
• Vacancies

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The Main Street Approach
The Main Street Approach is a comprehensive
downtown Revitalization program that uses
historic preservation as one of its most
important tools.
Recycle
?Revitalization is a PROCESS!
The decline of downtown happened over
decades. the need for downtown management does
not go away
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The Main Street Approach The 4 Points

• Organization involves getting everyone working
  toward the same goal and assembling the
  appropriate human and financial resources to
  implement a Main Street revitalization program.
• 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.  
• Design means getting Main Street into top
  physical shape by capitalizing on its best
  assets. Design includes maintenance practices,
  enhancing the physical appearance of the
  commercial district, 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. 

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Organization

• Fund Raising
• General operating expenses, special projects
• Volunteer Development
• Recruitment, training, recognition
• Promoting the Program
• Media, Presentations, Materials
• Administration

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Promotion Committee

• Marketing and Image Building selling the image
  and promise of downtown, markets its unique
  qualities
• Retail/Business Promotions generates business,
  makes the cash registers ring
• Specials Events and Festivals generates traffic
  introduction to the district return in the
  future
• Tourism attracts visitors and outside money

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Downtown Design

• Design Education
• Maintenance
• Building Improvements
• Signage and Awnings
• Visual Merchandising
• Public Improvements
• Graphic Design
• Design Incentives
• Design Assistance
• Planning Review

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Economic Restructuring

• Identify and Prioritize market opportunities
• Strengthen Existing Businesses
• Fill vacancies with complimentary businesses
• Assemble Incentives
• Develop Underutilized Space
• Monitor and Report Performance

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Reinvestment on Main Street
Through December 31, 2005
31.5 billion Reinvestment in physical
improvements 72,000 Net new businesses
created 331,000 Net new jobs created 178,000 Bui
ldings rehabilitated 28.31 Dollars invested in
physical improvements for every dollar invested
in program administration
Measurable Results!
2006
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MAIN STREET PROGRAM as an Economic Development
Tool

• Builds organizational capacity to manages
  downtown
• Encourages partnerships and collaboration
• Creates community image that increases sales,
  encourages private investments, adds property
  value, and attracts new business
• Trains and provides support to build sustainable
  programs
• Tracks important economic indicators
• Monitors downtown business so that community can
  be proactive rather than reactive
• Supports innovation and creative business
  development

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Downtown Revitalization
Challenges Opportunities

• Boomers and empty-nesters
• Cost of cars, gas, and commutes
• Second story housing development
• Cultural diversity
• Family mobility
• Lifestyle changes
• Climate change
• Slowdown of economy
• Return to sense of Place

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Catalysts for Revitalization

• Making buildings retail ready, and knowing the
  commercial needs
• Right mix of commercial and housing
• Social/Physical/Civic Values Economic Value
• Public Projects
• Cluster development artists, retail, services
• Historic Theaters
• Entertainment cinemas, restaurants

People in the downtown commercial districts
during the evening is a common factor for
dramatic increases in new investment in downtowns
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Re-use Contributes to Downtown Revitalization

• Bridges all generations
• Buildings built for mixed use
• Encourages walking and touring in the downtown
  districts
• Stimulates housing demand
• Can be more cost effective
• Responsible development GREEN
• Architecture stimulates creativity
• Attracts the arts
• Can incubate new business and micro-enterprises
• Helps build private/public partnerships

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The Developers Perspective they aint coming
for bricks, they are coming for goods and
services

• Storefronts
• Signage
• Interiors
• Energy Efficiency
• Business Plan
• Responsive government

Image is everything where money is being
invested
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Oregon Main Street Mission
To assist Oregon communities in the
revitalization of their unique downtown places
using the Main Street Approach.
SELF HELP Program
?Community determines area and image they want
for their downtown
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OREGON MAIN STREET Levels
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OREGON MAIN STREET Partnerships
County Main Street Programs Urban Main Street
Programs Regional Main Street Programs Washington
Main Street Program
Energy Efficiency Programs Brownfields
Assessment Oregon 150 Partner Rural Tourism Studio
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OREGON MAIN STREET Benefits
Resource Team Assessments Training Technical
Assistance Historic Surveys Design
Assistance Manager training and network State
promotion
Visit Oregon Main Streets
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Announcement , September 26, 2008
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Great Oregon Downtowns
City of Albany
City of Roseburg
City of Baker City
City of Oregon City
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Great Oregon Downtowns
City of La Grande
City of Oakridge
City of Toledo
City of Riddle
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Great Oregon Downtowns
City of Silverton
City of Independence
City of Lebanon
City of Monmouth
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Clackamas County Main Street Program

• Operates in conjunction with the Oregon Main
  Street Program
• Provides hands on technical
• assistance, resources and
• training to Clackamas County
• communities
• Overall goal - to build high
• quality, livable and sustainable
• communities that will grow Clackamas
  Countys economy.

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Clackamas County Main Street Program
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Clackamas County Downtowns
City of Oregon CIty
City of Estacada
City of Milwaukie
City of Lake Oswego
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Clackamas County Downtowns
City of West Linn
City of Sandy
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Clackamas County Main Street Program
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Working with Main Street

• Compliments Main Street
• Compatible in-fill development
• Building re-use and housing
• Façade programs
• Streetscape
• Entrances
• Public facilities and parks
• Parking
• Pedestrian systems linking downtown
• Maintenance Repair

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Working with Main Street

• Can Hinder Main Street Goals
• Redevelopment projects that draw customers away
  from downtown
• Parking projects
• Moving public facilities away from the downtown
  district
• Community event areas outside downtown
• Redevelopment design not compatible with scale
  of existing buildings and downtown image

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Oregon Main Street Building for the Future
All of us, if we are reasonably comfortable,
healthy and safe, owe immense debts to the past.
There is no way , of course, to repay the past.
We can only repay those debts by making gifts to
the future. Jane Jacobs