More Towns Join Small Town Main Street Program

An initiative allowing small cities to focus on creating new jobs and investment by revitalizing downtown areas

August 7, 2007

ASHE COUNTY NC NEWS -- Six North Carolina towns have joined North Carolina's Small Town Main Street Program. The Small Town Main Street Program is an initiative allowing small cities to focus on creating new jobs and investment by helping revitalize downtown areas in North Carolina. The newest participating towns are

• Angier
• Badin
• Burgaw
• Tryon
• West Jefferson
• Windsor

The Small Town Main Street program provides technical assistance to smaller communities with a population of less than 7,500 and lack the resources to become full Main Street cities. The program uses Four elements called the "Main Street Four Point Approach" to help small towns take the initiative to revitalize and restore their downtown commercial districts. The four elements are combined to create a well-balanced program:

• Organization: Building partnerships to create a consistent revitalization program and develop effective downtown management and leadership. Organization includes diverse groups of merchants, bankers, public officials, the chamber of commerce and civic groups that must work together to improve downtown.
  
  
• Promotion: The reestablishment of a downtown area must be a compelling place for shoppers, investors and visitors. This means not only improving sales but also rekindling community excitement and involvement. Promotion ranges from street festivals to retail merchandising, from community education to marketing and public relations.
  
  
• Design: Enhancing the visual quality of the downtown. Attention is given to the downtown environment elements, not just buildings and storefronts, but also public improvements, rear entries, signs, landscaping, window displays and graphic materials.
  
  
• Economic Restructuring: Strengthening the existing economic assets of the business district while diversifying its economic base. Activities include conducting market analysis to understand the changing market place, adapting vacant buildings that have outlived their original purposes for use as entertainment or cultural facilities and sharpening the competitiveness of Main Street's traditional merchants.

Governor Easley, praising the program, said: "The Main Street program has a proven track record of achievement in revitalizing downtowns across North Carolina. Communities in the program have experienced a renewed sense of pride and an improved economic climate."

Other participating towns previously designated as members of the Small Town Main Street program are:

• Ayden
• Chadbourn
• Fairmont
• Mount Olive
• Mount Gilead
• Spring Hope
• Walnut Cove
• WeldonWilliamston
• Zebulon.

The Small Town Main Street program, is part of the Main Street program developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1980, and is administered by Department of Commerce's Division of Community Development. The North Carolina Main Street program helps small towns to recognize and preserve their historic appearance, using local resources to build on their unique characteristics to create vibrant central business districts that meet the needs of present day communities.

The Small Town Main Street program was started in 2003, to help smaller communities that did not qualify for full Main Street status. Participants are selected through a competitive application process. Towns are chosen based on several factors including the level of distress in the town, previous downtown accomplishments, and local and private community commitment and support.