What is Main Street and How Does It Work?
The Main Street program gives a framework that helps communities develop and implement their own ideas to preserve and improve their historic commercial district. Main Street is a volunteer-driven, locally envisioned, community based program with proven results. It is supported by the National Trust for Historic Preservation through the National Main Street Center in Wshington, DC. The Florida Department of Historic Rsources, Florida Main Street Program, ensures programs maintain the National standards while bringing State guidance and support to local Main Street organizations, It is a trademarked Four Point Approach supported by eight guiding principles. As a unique economic development tool, the Main Street Four-Point Approach® is the foundation for local initiatives to revitalize their districts by leveraging local assets—from cultural or architectural heritage to local enterprises and community pride. The four points of the Main Street approach work together to build a sustainable and complete community revitalization effort.
The Board of Directors and the Committee Chairs make up the Organization Committee. They focus on getting everyone working toward the same goal and assembling the appropriate human and financial resources to implement the Apalachicola Downtown revitalization program. A governing board and standing committees make up the fundamental organizational structure of the volunteer-driven program. This structure not only divides the workload and clearly delineates responsibilities, but also builds consensus and cooperation among the various stakeholders.
The Design Committee's Purpose is to get Downtown Apalachicola 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, 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.
The Committee focuses on strengthening 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.
The Promotion Committee presents a positive image of the historic 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.