Main Street 4-Point Approach
The Main Street 4-Point Approach is a community-driven, comprehensive strategy that encourages economic development through historic preservation in ways that are appropriate for today’s marketplace. The four points include:
Design
Enhancing the downtown’s physical environment by capitalizing on its best assets, such as historic buildings, and creating an inviting atmosphere through attractive window displays, parking areas, building improvements, streetscapes, and landscaping. The Main Street Program also focuses on instilling good maintenance practices in the commercial district, enhancing the physical appearance of the commercial district by rehabilitating historic buildings, encouraging appropriate new construction, developing sensitive design management systems, and long-term planning.
Economic Restructuring
Strengthening a community’s existing economic base while also expanding and diversifying it. By helping existing businesses expand and recruiting new ones to respond to today’s market, the Main Street Program helps convert unused spaces into productive properties and sharpens the competitiveness of business enterprises.
Promotion
Marketing a downtown’s unique characteristics to residents, visitors, investors, and business owners. The Main Street Program develops a positive promotional strategy through advertising, retail activities, special events, and marketing campaigns to encourage commercial activity and investment in the area.
Organization
Involving all the downtown’s stakeholders, getting everyone working toward a common goal, and driving the volunteer-based Main Street Program. The fundamental organizational structure consists of a governing board and standing committees. Volunteers are coordinated and supported by a paid program director. This structure not only divides the workload and clearly delineates responsibilities, but also builds consensus and cooperation among the various stakeholders.
Benefits of the Opelika Main Street Program
When a community participates in a comprehensive revitalization effort, its downtown can experience a return of economic vitality. Benefits of the Opelika Main Street Program include:
- Protecting and strengthening the existing tax base
- Creating a positive community image
- Creating visually appealing and economically viable downtown buildings
- Attracting new businesses
- Creating new jobs
- Bringing new residents downtown
- Increasing investment downtown
- Preserving historic architectural resources
- Services tailored to specific community needs
