At the Center
By Linda Glisson | From Main Street News | March 2002 | 184
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msnews-2002-03.pdf |
ReStore DC Brings Main Street to Nation's Capital
On, January 25, 2002, Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony A. Williams, accompanied by National Trust President Richard Moe and Deputy Mayor Eric Price, announced ReStore DC, a commercial revitalization initiative designed to strengthen neighborhood business districts.
"My goal is to bring economic development to every corner of our city," declared Mayor Williams. "ReStore DC is an essential tool in… bringing economic development to every street, every block, and every community in the District. Everyone wants to live near stores where they can purchase everyday products at reasonable prices. Right now, you literally cannot buy a new washing machine or dryer in the District."
A key component of ReStore DC is a citywide Main Street program. Up to five neighborhoods will be selected to participate in DC Main Streets during the first year.
"As we designate local Main Street programs and provide technical assistance and matching funds for commercial development, there will be many opportunities for residents to assist the efforts of local merchants," said Williams. "Residents can partner with merchants to organize for change, and develop action plans to retain, expand, or attract the right mix of unique local shops and brand-name stores."
Staff of the National Trust's Main Street Center worked closely with the city's planning and economic development staff to assess neighborhood commercial revitalization needs in the District and to design each of the ReStore DC components, including DC Main Streets.
Praising the collaborative effort, Moe noted that "all of us at the National Trust for Historic Preservation are… confident that this program will provide the city's traditional commercial districts with tools they can use to bring about genuine, sustainable revitalization. DC Main Streets will use one of the District's greatest assets--its historic commercial buildings--as a tool for revitalization. These buildings represent not only the history of the city, but also an important economic asset upon which the neighborhoods can build. We are so pleased that the District is choosing to integrate historic preservation as a key component of its neighborhood business district revitalization strategy."
For more information about Mayor William's new initiative, contact Sharon Gang at (202) 727-5011. Or to start your state, county, or citywide Main Street program, call Stephanie Redman at the NMSC, (202) 588-6219, or email stephanie_redman@nthp.org.
Champion of Innovation
Kennedy Smith, director of the National Trust's Main Street Center, has been named one of Fast Company magazine's "Fast 50" innovators--individuals whose achievements have helped change their companies or society.
The debut list of Fast 50 innovators will appear in the March issue of Fast Company. The list includes 50 exceptional achievers selected from online submissions by Fast Company readers.
"The Fast 50 had the vision to see ways of improving our world--and the persistence to accomplish their goals," says Fast Company co-founder and co-editor William Taylor. "At a time when our nation is rediscovering what it means to be a hero, the Fast 50 recognizes 50 individuals who are each courageous in their own way."
The Fast 50 includes executives, activists, marketers, designers, scientists, engineers, and other leaders from a variety of backgrounds. The list is divided into the following categories: leaders, change agents, disrupters, trendsetters, and social entrepreneurs.
Named as a Trendsetter--"creative thinkers whose sense of style and power of persuasion change what our world looks like and how our products perform"--Kennedy accepted the award for the Main Street movement, countering the "big-fix" mentality that has dominated community development for decades with the Main Street philosophy that says "dream big, but think small." Main Street, she says, encourages communities to recycle old buildings and concentrate on incremental change.
The Fast 50 were selected by a distinguished panel consisting of astronaut Sally Ride; management guru Tom Peters; noted futurist Watts Wacker; Kevin Roberts, CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi; and Zoe Baird, president, Markle Foundation.
Profiles of the Fast 50 can be accessed online at the special Fast 50 web site: www.fastcompany.com/fast 50.
Another Excellent Class
More than 50 Main Street managers came to Washington, D.C., February 4-8, for an intense week of training. Attending the Organization and Promotion sessions of the Main Street Certification Institute in Professional Downtown Management™, students haled from such far-away places as Sheridan, Wyoming; Lahaina, Hawaii; Saco, Maine; Palm Harbor, Florida; and Waterloo, Iowa. The Certification Institute takes two years to complete; Economic Restructuring and Design will be offered next February.
"This year's students were the most enthusiastic and professional we've had to date," noted NMSC Senior Program Associate Bill McLeod. "Everyone had so much to contribute that it was almost as if the speakers were facilitating their peers."
And the Winners of the 2002 Great American Main Street Awards…
…will be announced April 8th at the Opening Session of the National Town Meeting on Main Street in Fort Worth, Texas. But we can tell you who the 20 semifinalists are now! Bill McLeod, coordinator of the Great American Main Street Awards, has released this list from which our nationally renowned jury will select the five winning communities. Congratulations and best of luck! The 20 semifinalists are:
Encinitas, California
North Miami, Florida
Rome, Georgia
Cedar Falls, Iowa
New Iberia, Louisiana
Clinton, Missouri
Washington, Missouri
Littleton, New Hampshire
Milford, New Hampshire
El Reno, Oklahoma
Okmulgee, Oklahoma
Perkins, Oklahoma
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gilmer, Texas
Kerrville, Texas
Manassas, Virginia
Staunton, Virginia
Wenatchee, Washington
Green Bay, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
