6.12. SR 10-18-1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Chapter 10 Page 23 0['25 8. An active and effective board of directors and committees. . 9. An evolving track record of individual and overall successes in preservation-based commercial revitalization. 10. Ongoing contact, sharing information and affiliation with other local, state and national preservation-based commercial revitalization programs, through correspondence, memberships, volunteer service and conferences.34 The National Historic Preservation Trust Tells Communities. How Should You Get Started? In their publication, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, pulls on successful strategies in combating Superstore sprawl and offers the following advice on methods communities can use: "Publicize the issue. Talk with community leaders. Hold a community meeting. Put together a slide show illustrating the successes other communities have had in revitalizing their downtowns, and show this to civic groups, school classes, local husinesses and others. Ask the local newspaper to write a series of articles about the downtown and its revitalizing efforts." "lJgcrl!.iJ-1lJJTticipa.nts. The downtown progrmTI must involve grOUP& and individuals throughout-- the community in order to be successful. Main Street revitalization requires the cooperation and commitment ()[ a broad-based coalition of public and private sector groups: Business; civi~ 3foups; losal govt:mment; financial institutions; the shamb~r of ccmmerce; consumers; and - many others. It also involves mobilizing a large number of volunteers to implement activities'" . "Form {lfl organization. Sometimes an existing organization or institution can take on the downtown revitalization initiative. It is usually more effective. though, to create a new organization that focuses exclusively on the revitalization process and that is unhampered by an existing reputation or by the expectations and particular interest of existing m~mbers. The new organization should include broad-based community representation." "Identifi..l]arriers to downtown development. Ultimately, it should be as easy for a new business to locate downtown as it is to locate out on the strip. Examine your community's planning and land-use policies, financial programs, building codes, and other tools to see if there are regulatory or financial incentives that encourage sprawl instead of downtown development. List other problems affecting the downtown as well." "DevelQJ2.a realistic. incremental work plan. Articulate what the community wants the downtown to achieve. Develop a written mission statement and three or four major goals. Then identify some high-priority, but achievable activities the organization can do to meet these goals. In the early years try to include highly visible physical improvements and promotional events. Remember that you can't tackle all the downtown's problems in one year. Some ofthe problems may take years to overcome. Take one step at a time." "Measure your progress. Keep track ofthe amount of money invested in physical . improvements and ofthe number of new jobs created and new businesses that open. Track the downtown's vacancy rate. Count the number of people who take part in promotional activities. Ask downtown businesses to let you know if their sales are increasing. Publicize the progress http://www.shilsreport.orglchaplO.html 10/6/99