Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Main Street Initiative Meeting 10-11-06

Tonight the Nazareth Main Street meeting took place at the YMCA. About ten people were in attendance. The group split into four working groups and determined an immediate course of action for each. The main goal was to set up a group meeting and recruit additional individuals to participate. The next general meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. at the Nazareth YMCA.

Want to learn more about this state supported program? Read on.
"Main Street revitalization is one of the most successful economic development strategies in America: every dollar a community uses to support it local Main Street program has leveraged an average of more than $38 in new investment." - The National Main Street Center.
The four working groups noted above correlate to the four guiding principles of the program:
  • Organization: Having a broad base, public and private, individuals and groups, all working together.
  • Design: enhancing the physical appearance of the designated Main Street area.
  • Promotion: market the community through events and advertising.
  • Economic Restructuring: strengthen the economic base by providing resources and new opportunities for business.
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development supports the Main Street program by providing grants to municipalities and resources to help establish a local organization dedicated to downtown revitalization.

The current working group of volunteers will form a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with a vision "To make Nazareth the community of choice for business, residence, recreation, and tourism." The mission will be "To revitalize our historic community through thoughtful economic development, planning, historic preservation, and tourism."

In short - they want to emphasize that "Nazareth - a great place to live, work, and play."

The Borough of Nazareth has committed its support to the organization as have many businesses, organizations, and individuals.

Each of the four working groups, Organization, Design, Economic Restructuring, and Promotion are seeking volunteers. Below is a list of the committees and some of the activities they will engage (please note not all of these will be acted on immediately, but are expected to be within the next five years):

  • Organization
    • Partnerships
    • Volunteer Development (recruitment, training, and recognition)
    • Communications (PR and Media relations)
    • Fundraising (annual and long term)
    • Governance (nomination of Board, Training, By-Laws)
  • Design
    • Buildings (facade improvement and design guidelines - work with government to achieve, this group cannot establish policy)
    • Physical Improvements (inventory existing conditions and prepare streetscape plans)
    • Planning & Zoning (work with local zoning to ensure adequate ordinances)
    • Parking & Transportation (survey parking needs, analyze space utilization, develop a management strategy)
    • Visual Merchandising (window and internal displays, curb appeal)
    • Graphics Utilization (banners, welcome signs, amenities)
  • Economic Restructuring
    • Trade Area Information (Business Inventory, Data Management, Trade Area Definition, Socio-Econ Profile)
    • Business Retention
    • Business Recruitment
    • New Economic Uses (anchor building identification and community initiated development)
    • E-Commerce (current e-commerce situation, web strategies, and enhance business e-commerce)
    • Financial Incentives (grant and loan programs, tax credits)
  • Promotion
    • General Image (define brand, market top of mind awareness, and combat negative perceptions)
    • Special Events (activities to bring people downtown and annual event calendar)
    • Retail Promotions (get people to stores and annual promotional calendar)
If you are interested in any of these areas, contact me (editor@newsovercoffee.com) and I'll have you added to the participant list, or stop by the YMCA for the next meeting on Wednesday, October 25 at 7:00 pm (use the front entrance).

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