How to Start a Main Street Program in Centerville: A Step-by-Step Blueprint

Three years ago, I stood on a cracked sidewalk in front of what used to be Miller's Hardware, boarded windows, peeling paint, the kind of slow decay that makes you ache for what downtown used to be. The owner had retired. No one wanted the building. Six other storefronts on Main Street told the same story. That's when three of us, a city councilmember, a local architect, and me, decided something had to change. We didn't have a playbook. We barely had a budget. But we had a theory: if we could organize the right people around the right framework, we could bring downtown back.

Eighteen months later, Miller's Hardware is now a thriving craft brewery with a waiting list for patio seating. Two new retail shops opened. Property values on Main Street rose 22%. And we've got a waitlist of entrepreneurs asking about vacant spaces.

The framework we used? The Main Street Approach®, a proven, replicable model developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Since 1980, it's helped over 2,000 communities across America revitalize their downtowns using a combination of historic preservation, economic development, and community-driven planning.

Here's exactly how we did it, and how your community can too.

Step 1: Build Your Core Coalition (Month 1-2)

Forget committees of well-meaning volunteers who meet quarterly and accomplish little. You need a working coalition of 8-12 people who will show up weekly, roll up their sleeves, and drive action. According to the Washington State Department of Archaeology's guide to organizing downtown revitalization, successful programs require representatives from:

• Municipal government (city manager, planning director, or economic development coordinator)
• Property owners (ideally those with buildings downtown, not just residential)
• Business owners (retail, restaurants, service businesses, actual operators, not just landlords)
• Financial institutions (banks that understand commercial lending and local investment)
• Nonprofit sector (historical society, chamber of commerce, community foundation)
• Residents (people who live downtown or within walking distance)

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation's 65 ways to get started with downtown revitalization emphasizes this crucial point: "Hold a downtown stakeholder meeting. Show PowerPoint presentations or videos available from state Main Street programs or ask a member of the staff to make a presentation. Then figure out the strengths and weaknesses of your downtown and set some goals."

Step 2: Conduct Honest Assessment (Month 2-4)

Before you can fix downtown, you need to understand what's actually broken, not just what feels broken. This requires three parallel assessments:

Physical Assessment

Walk every block. Document every building with photos. Note: vacant storefronts, deferred maintenance, code violations, missing signage, sidewalk conditions, lighting gaps, accessible entrances. The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation provides free assessment templates that help standardize this process.

Your goal isn't to criticize, it's to create a baseline. When you can say "We had 14 vacant storefronts in March 2024, now we have 8 in March 2026," you've got proof the work is paying off.

Market Assessment

Who shops downtown? Who doesn't shop downtown but could? According to Main Street America's Revitalizing Main Street practitioner's guide, you need:

• Demographic data: Census data on population, income, age, household size within a 5-mile radius
• Retail gap analysis: What categories of businesses are residents driving to neighboring towns to access?
• Traffic counts: Actual vehicle and pedestrian counts at peak hours
• Customer surveys: Why do people come downtown? Why don't they? (Focus groups work better than online surveys)

Many communities skip this step because it feels like homework. Don't. The data will guide everything from business recruitment to parking policy. Universities with urban planning programs often provide free or low-cost market studies through student projects, reach out to the National Agricultural Library's downtown revitalization resources for partnership templates.

Regulatory Assessment

What rules are actively preventing downtown revitalization? Common culprits:

• Outdated zoning that prohibits mixed-use development or upper-floor residential
• Parking requirements that make small-footprint retail impossible to finance
• Sign ordinances that restrict historic building facades or creative wayfinding
• Building codes that make historic renovations prohibitively expensive (especially ADA compliance in pre-1970 structures)

Meet with your planning director and building inspector. Ask: "If I wanted to convert the second floor of that vacant building into apartments, what would it take?" The obstacles you uncover become your advocacy targets.

Step 3: Form Your Nonprofit Organization (Month 3-5)

A successful Main Street program requires a private, independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. This is non-negotiable if you want to pursue national accreditation, apply for most grants, or accept tax-deductible donations.

Why not just operate under the city's umbrella? Because Main Street programs succeed when they balance public and private interests. As outlined in the Colorado Division of Local Government's Main Street program requirements, the nonprofit structure:

• Allows flexibility to fundraise from private sources
• Enables advocacy for controversial policies without political blowback on elected officials
• Demonstrates that downtown revitalization is a community priority, not just a government program
• Creates a dedicated entity that outlasts changes in city administration

Your Articles of Incorporation should explicitly state your mission: downtown revitalization through the Four-Point Approach. Recruit a founding board of 9-15 members representing the stakeholder categories from Step 1. Expect 3-6 months for IRS approval of 501(c)(3) status.

Step 4: Hire Your First Staff Member (Month 4-6)

Volunteer energy fades. Programs sustained by unpaid labor burn out within 2-3 years. You need at least one paid professional, typically titled "Main Street Director" or "Downtown Manager", whose full-time job is moving the revitalization forward.

Budget expectation: $50,000-$80,000 annually for salary, benefits, and basic operating expenses (office space, website, marketing materials, event costs). Where does that money come from?

Funding Source	Typical %	Notes
Municipal support	40-50%	Annual allocation from city budget (economic development or planning)
Membership dues	20-30%	Downtown businesses, property owners ($200-$2,000/year tiered)
Grants	15-25%	State economic development, national foundations, corporate sponsors
Fundraising events	10-15%	Galas, sponsorships, merchandise, event fees

The Tennessee Main Street program requires communities to demonstrate $75,000 in combined public and private funding before designation, a threshold that ensures programs have staying power beyond the honeymoon phase.

Step 5: Master the Four-Point Approach (Ongoing)

The genius of the Main Street model isn't any single tactic, it's the integration of four strategic areas working simultaneously. According to Louisiana Main Street's framework overview, here's how they interconnect:

Organization

Build partnerships between public and private sectors. Create volunteer committees (Design, Economic Vitality, Promotion) that meet monthly with specific work plans. Establish funding mechanisms, accountability structures, and decision-making processes. This is the foundation, without it, the other three points collapse.

Design

Enhance physical appearance through building improvements, streetscape projects, public art, wayfinding signage, and lighting upgrades. Prioritize historic preservation, Main Street America's research shows that historic character is downtown's competitive advantage over generic suburban development.

Start with façade improvement grant programs: offer 50/50 matching grants ($2,000-$10,000) for exterior improvements that meet design guidelines. This creates visible momentum while improving building values. Our community funded the first five façade grants through a combination of city allocations and private donations.

Economic Vitality

Recruit new businesses that fill market gaps identified in Step 2. Support existing businesses through networking events, joint marketing, and operational assistance. Convert vacant upper floors to residential use (creating built-in downtown customers). Facilitate access to capital through loan programs and investor networks.

The Colorado Department of Transportation's Revitalizing Main Streets program found that downtown districts with residential density (housing on upper floors or nearby) generate 35% more retail revenue than purely commercial districts. Why? Because people who live downtown spend money downtown.

Promotion

Market downtown as the center of community life. Host signature events that attract visitors (farmers markets, art walks, music festivals, holiday celebrations). Tell success stories through social media, local press, and word-of-mouth. Create an identity and brand that differentiates downtown from competing retail centers.

Quick win: Launch a "First Friday" or "Third Thursday" event series. Coordinate with existing businesses to stay open late, offer specials, and create a reason for people to experience downtown during non-work hours. These events cost almost nothing but generate foot traffic that converts skeptics into believers.

Step 6: Secure Quick Wins (Month 6-12)

Patience is a virtue in downtown revitalization, except when it kills momentum. Your coalition needs to see tangible progress within the first year, or volunteer energy will evaporate.

Target projects that are:

• Visible: Something people notice immediately (not administrative restructuring)
• Achievable: Completable within 3-6 months with available resources
• Demonstrative: Proof that organized effort produces results

Examples that worked for us and other Wisconsin Main Street communities:

• Alley cleanup campaign: Mobilize volunteers to clear trash, paint dumpster enclosures, install lighting. Before/after photos are powerful.
• Window beautification: Work with property owners to install temporary art, vintage displays, or "coming soon" signage in vacant storefronts. Empty windows signal abandonment; curated displays signal potential.
• Wayfinding signage: Install pedestrian-scale signs directing people from parking to businesses. Solves a practical problem while demonstrating that someone is managing downtown.
• Parklet or plaza activation: Convert 1-2 parking spaces into a temporary public seating area with planters, tables, and umbrellas. Test placemaking concepts cheaply before permanent investment.

The psychological impact of quick wins cannot be overstated. When people see that downtown is changing, not just talked about, but physically changing, their mental model shifts from "dying downtown" to "downtown on the rebound."

Step 7: Build Long-Term Capacity (Year 2-3)

After the initial excitement, the hard work begins: building systems that sustain revitalization beyond the founders' enthusiasm.

Develop Design Guidelines

Work with a historic preservation architect to create design standards for building improvements. Guidelines should encourage appropriate renovations while preventing historically insensitive modifications (vinyl siding over brick, for example). National Register of Historic Places listing unlocks federal tax credits for substantial rehabilitations, 20% of qualified expenses.

Create Financial Incentive Programs

Beyond façade grants, explore:

• Property tax abatements for new construction or substantial rehabilitation (typically 5-10 years phased)
• Revolving loan funds providing gap financing for projects that don't qualify for conventional bank loans
• Business incubator space offering below-market rents for startups during their first 1-2 years

Many of these require state enabling legislation or local ordinances, work with your city attorney to identify what's legally permissible in your jurisdiction.

Pursue National Accreditation

After 18-24 months of operation, apply for Main Street America accreditation. Benefits include:

• Access to national training conferences and webinars
• Eligibility for exclusive grants and funding opportunities
• Technical assistance from national field staff
• Networking with 1,600+ programs nationwide facing similar challenges
• Enhanced credibility when recruiting businesses and investors

Accreditation requires demonstrating: organizational capacity (board, staff, budget), use of the Four-Point Approach, broad-based community support, and commitment to historic preservation. Think of it as a certification that your program is real, not just another committee that meets quarterly and accomplishes little.

Step 8: Measure and Communicate Impact (Ongoing)

Data drives funding. Storytelling drives community support. You need both.

Track these metrics quarterly:

Metric Category	Specific Measurements
Economic	New businesses opened, jobs created, private investment leveraged, building sales, assessed property values
Physical	Building renovations, façades improved, streetscape projects completed, vacant storefront count
Engagement	Volunteer hours, event attendance, social media reach, membership growth
Perception	Annual surveys measuring community sentiment about downtown (5-point scale on safety, cleanliness, vitality, diversity)

Main Street America provides free data collection templates that standardize reporting across all accredited programs. Use them, comparability with peer communities helps contextualize your performance.

Beyond numbers, tell human stories. Profile the entrepreneur who opened that new coffee shop. Interview the retiree who volunteers every Saturday at the farmers market. Document the family that moved downtown because they wanted their kids to grow up in a walkable neighborhood. These narratives make stakeholders emotionally invested in continued support.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

After three years of doing this work and studying dozens of other programs, here are the mistakes that derail Main Street efforts:

Mistake #1: Waiting for Perfect Consensus

You will never get everyone on board. Some property owners will resist change. Some businesses will complain about construction disruption. Some residents will pine for the past rather than embrace the future. Move forward with the coalition you have, momentum converts skeptics faster than endless meetings.

Mistake #2: Focusing Only on Aesthetics

Pretty streetscapes don't pay the bills. Yes, design matters, but economic vitality (actual businesses, paying customers, jobs, investment) determines whether revitalization sustains itself. Balance beautification with business recruitment and support.

Mistake #3: Expecting Government to Lead

Cities can provide funding, regulatory support, and infrastructure investment, but they can't drive community-based revitalization. That requires the passion, flexibility, and entrepreneurial energy that only nonprofits and private sector partners can provide. Government is a partner, not the leader.

Mistake #4: Neglecting Existing Businesses

New businesses generate excitement, but your existing downtown businesses kept the lights on during hard times. Support them first: operational training, marketing assistance, networking opportunities. They're your foundation, don't take them for granted while chasing shiny new prospects.

Mistake #5: Ignoring Upper-Floor Housing

Most historic downtown buildings have vacant or underutilized upper floors. Converting them to residential use creates downtown residents who become built-in customers, improves street safety through evening activity, and generates property tax revenue. Zoning that permits mixed-use development is essential.

Is It Worth It?

Main Street revitalization is a marathon, not a sprint. Expect 3-5 years before you see measurable economic impact. Expect setbacks, frustrations, and moments when you question whether it's working.

But here's what I know: that vacant hardware store is now a thriving business employing 12 people. The sidewalk I stood on three years ago, cracked and neglected, was repaved last summer through a partnership between the city and property owners. The sense of resignation that hung over downtown ("nothing will ever change") has been replaced by cautious optimism.

Centerville is not unique. We're a small town with limited resources and the same challenges facing thousands of communities across America: suburban sprawl, online retail competition, aging infrastructure, and a generation that grew up thinking "downtown" meant somewhere to avoid.

But downtown, real downtown, with its historic buildings and walkable streets and local businesses and community connections, remains irreplaceable. It's where we gather. Where we build relationships. Where we create the kind of place worth living in, not just driving through.

That's worth fighting for. And with the right framework, the right coalition, and the right persistence, you can win that fight.

Sources & Further Reading

• Main Street America - Revitalizing Main Street: A Practitioner's Guide
• Washington State DAHP - Organizing a Successful Downtown Revitalization Program
• Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation - 65 Ways to Get Started with Downtown Revitalization
• National Agricultural Library - Downtown Revitalization Resources
• Washington Trust for Historic Preservation - Downtown Revitalization Resources
• Visit Centerville, SD - Downtown Improvements and Revitalization
• Tennessee Main Street Program
• Louisiana Main Street - The Main Street Approach
• Colorado Division of Local Government - Main Street Program
• Colorado DOT - Revitalizing Main Streets
• Wikipedia - Main Street America
• National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places