Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Main Street Discussed

Main Street Arkansas could be coming to Prescott.

Joe Bailey, assistant state coordinator with the Main Street Arkansas program, visited with area leaders and businessmen Wednesday, Nov. 4, telling of the program's benefits.

The Main Street program has been successful nationwide in 1,400 cities, with 19 Arkansas cities achieving the status.

The idea, Bailey said, is to revitalize downtown and work to reverse the trend of having businesses move toward highways and interstates.

Downtown, he said, is historically a community's core. However, in the past 20 years, downtowns have deteriorated, with businesses moving toward the flow of traffic.

Some say the Main Street program is an economic development program using historic preservation as a tool, Bailey said, but this isn't necessarily true, as there are those who say exactly the opposite.

The program is geared to using the assets in place in downtown areas, revitalizing what is already there to stimulate the economy and attract new business.

However, there is nothing easy about becoming a Main Street city. First, an interested community must go through the application process. Bailey said this can take from six months to a year to complete.

Once this is done, there is a four point process the community must work on in order to achieve Main Street status. These points are -- organization, design, economic restructuring and promotion.

The decline of downtown areas began in earnest in the 1970s, according to Bailey. The first such efforts of revitalization were done by business men and women in the affected region.

By 1977, the Main Street program had been organized and three cities were selected as experiments. In 1984, Arkansas entered the picture with five cities working to achieve Main Street status.

It was learned organization is the key to being successful, Bailey told the group on hand. Proper organization provides stability for the long term effort and helps all groups involved work together better.

Promotion, he said, enhances a city's image as an exciting commercial center with quality businesses and services, along with entertainment.

Special events, Bailey said, have proven to be successful, as have downtown directories. "There is no specific formula to use," he continued. "You need to use the unique assets of the area, environment and resources available."

Those cities involved with the Main Street program receive technical help from experts. But, the businesses in the area must also help by providing financial assistance.

According to Bailey, it would cost about $30,000 to operate a Main Street program, with a commitment of three years needed to complete the project. This figure includes the salary of a local director for the plan, which is required.

He suggested getting a building inventory and having a map made so prospective businesses can easily find out what's available in the down town area. Advertising vacant buildings can also help get them filled, he said.

While communities are asked to help with the financing of the program, Bailey said, there is other fiscal assistance available for established businesses in downtown areas. The state has model business grants available to help offset some of the costs involved.

However, he pointed out, it takes time and hard work. As he said, the downtown area didn't deteriorate overnight and they can't be rebuilt overnight either, but the program does work.

In some cases, Bailey said, the program is initially operated through the local chamber of commerce. However, the organization is working to get away from this because conflicts can occur.

Instead, he said, a board of directors with a director is used. The board is responsible for fund raising efforts, while the director runs committee meetings. Committees, he said, are needed for each of the four points involved, with the director coordinating all of these groups.

The director's job is a full-time position, but it is up to the city involved to determine the position's salary and how the money is used.

Overall, though, the program is extremely flexible. The local Main Street board defines the limits of the areas to be renovated, and then begins the grant process for financial help, as well as the search for local monies.