Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs about the Main Street Program
How do I apply the Main Street Approach to my community?
The National Trust Main Street Center offers a variety of publications, audiovisual materials, and software to help guide your local revitalization efforts. It also sponsors a national conference that offers excellent training opportunities. Through its membership program, you can network with other organizations and learn from other Main Street communities’ experiences, so you won’t have to “reinvent the wheel.” The Center also provides direct technical assistance on a fee-for-service basis.
Am I the right person to start this program? How can I get others interested?
Your Main Street’s revitalization starts with you! Main Street programs around the nation are started by ordinary, concerned citizens who work with others in the community to reach a common goal. To get started, gather as much information as possible and spark interest among community groups that have a stake in the future of your commercial corridor: local government, chamber of commerce, historic preservation groups, etc. Put together a task force to plan the next steps. Contact your statewide Main Street organization to learn the process for applying in your state. If there are other local Main Street organizations nearby, talk to them about their successes and challenges. If there is an active downtown organization in your community, join it and present your ideas on preservation-based revitalization. See Getting Started for more.
Who pays for the Main Street program? Is it a grant?
No. Financial support for the program comes from the local entities that have a stake in the downtown: city government, merchants, businesses, and the public. The success of the Main Street program over the years lies in the fact that it is a local initiative, both organizationally and financially. When there is local buy-in, people care more about the success of the program and become more involved.
How long does a local Main Street program last?
Commercial revitalization is an ongoing process. Just as shopping centers and malls have full-time staff that work constantly to ensure proper leasing, management, and marketing, downtown and neighborhood commercial districts need ongoing attention, too. To ensure continuing economic success, Main Street programs are ongoing.
What assistance is available to establish and manage a local Main Street program?
Assistance is available in the forms of technical services, networking, training, and information. The Center can provide direct fee-for-service technical assistance to cities and towns, both independently and in conjunction with state and citywide Main Street programs. Statewide and citywide coordinating programs also provide these types of assistance.
What if my state does not have a statewide Main Street organization?
Some states do not have coordinating Main Street programs. If you check the statewide listing (at National Network) and find no statewide program, you can still initiate your own independent Main Street organization. We can help you network with other independent programs and nearby statewide program networks.
How can my community obtain direct, on-site help from the National Trust Main Street Center?
In many cases, the National Trust Main Street Center works directly with a state or citywide Main Street program to provide technical assistance to a limited number of designated communities. However, the Center also works directly with individual cities and towns, depending on a community’s needs and staff availability. The Center works on a fee-for-services basis. As always, we encourage communities to begin their own Main Street programs locally, whether or not they can afford the Center’s services. Our extensive catalog of books and materials can be of great assistance to start-up and ongoing programs.
Is joining the Main Street Network Membership Program the same as becoming a Main Street organization?
No. Although the terminology is similar, they are two different processes. The Center offers the National Main Street Network Membership as a service in order to provide information and benefits to any individual, agency, or organization interested in preservation-based commercial district revitalization. For an annual subscription of $195 members receive a monthly newsletter, access to member’s only information, and other benefits. Being designated as a Main Street program by a statewide or citywide Main Street coordinating program is a completely different process, which requires an application to that coordinating organization. In order to call yourself a Main Street organization in most states, you must be designated by the statewide program. In states without statewide organizations, communities may self-initiate an independent program.
We are not ready to apply to our statewide or citywide Main Street program for designation. Is there anything else we can do?
Yes. You can encourage local leaders, planning agencies, economic development agencies, city government, businesses, and individuals to apply the Main Street approach to what they are doing now. Persuade them to view traditional commercial buildings as an asset to your community and to see the downtown or neighborhood commercial district as an area full of opportunity to renew your community’s sense of identity, history, and place. You can also view case studies in our resources section and bring them to the attention of community leaders.
