Grand Rapids Central Business District Association to Discuss New Downtown Revitalization Program

The  next meeting for the Central Business District Association will be:

Wednesday, December 14th,

8:00 am at the Central School - Ground Level.

 

On November 17th, Emily Northey was here and gave her presentation on the Minnesota Mainstreet Program. 

 

In 1977, the National Trust of Historic Preservation launched the Main Street Program as a 3 year pilot aimed at preserving deteriorating downtown buildings in 3 midwestern communities.  Today they use a Four Point Approach to Commercial District Revitalization:  Design, Economic Restructuring, Promotion, Organization.

 

Designated Main Street Programs in Minnesota are in Brainerd, Fairbault, New Ulm, Red Wing and Wilmar.

 

Associate Member Programs are in Albert Lea, Amboy Community Club, Austin, Belle Plaine, Chisholm, Hastings, Lake City, Litchfield, Luverne EDA, Mankatao, Northfield, Osakis, Owatonna, Park Rapids, St. Cloud, Sauk Centre, Stillwater, Wabasha, Winona, Worthington.

 

Grand Rapids has many pieces of this program in place already.  We have so many good things to offer already.  Now we have to decide, "Is this the program that will take us the rest of the way to revitalize Downtown Grand Rapids?"  We don't need to re-invent the wheel.  They've already done that.

 

The program has been very successful in many cities already.  There is a time commitment and monetary commitment to the program.  Three years seems to be an average where cities can measure results but this can vary.  There would also be an employee for the program who coordinate all the activities and responsibilities.  Emily was this person for the Brainerd program.

 

For more information about the program, please go to www.mnpreservation.org/programs/main-street or Google Minnesota Mainstreet Program.  There is a boatload of good information there.

 

Please attend the meeting.  Everyone's opinion is important! 

 

Thank you,

Jean  Healy, Manager
Central Square Mall
201 NW 4th Street
Grand Rapids MN 55744
P:218-326-4765
F:218-999-5020