Program Gives Community Downtowns ‘Street’ Cred
Published Aug 26, 2008
Shoppers stroll charming downtown Franklin, one of 22 communities to receive the state’s Main Street Program certification.
Communities that participate in the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development’s Main Street Program are easy to identify.
Clean, clear walkways, good signage, benches, gardens and other cosmetic touches make downtowns in those communities more inviting and attractive. But there’s much more to the program than just that, says Kimberly Nyberg, Main Street Program manager.
“The physical improvements are great, but when these communities invest in their downtowns they start seeing a lot of economic development,” Nyberg says. “The people who live there invest in the area, opening shops and businesses, and visitors start to come. Many of our cities and towns have created whole heritage tourism and special events from their Main Street programs, which have greatly increased quality of life for the locals and tourism dollars.”
The state has 22 certified Main Street programs, with still more communities involved in the process. Those certified areas are eligible for non-competitive grants from the state, which this year are worth $23,000 for specific programs and staff education.
“The key to that program is innovation,” Nyberg says. “We want to see them coming up with programs that display forward thinking, very aggressive projects. And they’re doing it.”
Many individual programs have chosen tourism as a focus, she says, and are working on boosting their visitor traffic in a variety of ways. But whatever the project, Main Street is all about creating a community, so local flair is always at the forefront.
“We encourage them to become attractions, a true destination,” Nyberg says. “Our downtowns give people a real chance not just to see the character of the community, but also the characters.
“That’s what’s so great about our programs — they’re unique to where they are and they allow a community to really build on its strengths, the things that make it different, to be successful. They come up with their own unique story, and then they tell it.”
Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Todd Bennett
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