Downtown Hillsboro Main Street Program

The Main Street Approach®

The Main Street Approach is a proven comprehensive approach to commercial historic district revitalization. This approach has been implemented in more than 2,200 cities and towns in 40 states across the nation with the help of the National Main Street Center and statewide downtown revitalization programs. The success of the Main Street Approach® is based on its comprehensive nature. By fully integrating four points into a practical downtown management strategy, a local program will produce fundamental changes in a community's economic base:

• Organization involves building a Main Street® framework that is well represented by business and property owners, bankers, citizens, public officials, chambers of commerce and other local economic development organizations.

• Promotion creates excitement downtown and involves marketing an enticing image to shoppers, investors and visitors. Street festivals, parades, retail events and image development campaigns are some of the ways Main Street® encourages customer traffic.

• Design enhances the attractiveness of the business district and improvements result in a reinvestment of dollars to downtown. Some activities include historic building rehabilitation, street and alley clean-up, colorful banners, landscaping and lighting.

• Economic Restructuring involves analyzing current market forces to develop long-term solutions, such as recruiting new businesses, creatively converting unused space for new uses and sharpening the competitiveness of Main Street's traditional merchants.