Group helps revitalize downtown cores in Missouri cities, towns

By Ralph Pokorny

Nevada Herald

Main Street organizations, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations are all important parts of a community's total economic development package.

"It's kind of like one of those nesting Russian dolls where all of the pieces nest perfectly together. All of the groups are important. Each one is a different part of the puzzle," Sheri Stuart, National Main Street program associate, said.

She said the economic development organizations usually look at large-scale projects such as new industries or other large developments that involve major employers while chambers of commerce are oriented toward members in the entire community or region they serve.

"A chamber of commerce is a membership-driven organization, while a Main Street serves all of the businesses in the downtown," she said.

Because it focuses only on the downtown area, a Main Street is able to relieve some of the burden from the chamber of commerce, Stuart said.

"The downtown is the heart and soul of a community. It is a window to that community," she said.

A poor appearance detracts from the businesses in a downtown and makes it harder to attract customers and new businesses.

This is particularly important in a community like this with the historic aspect of the courthouse, the Square, which many towns do not have, and all of the historic buildings, she said.

"It deserves special treatment," Stuart said.

The funding of a local program should come primarily from three sources, she said.

Thirty percent of the cost should come from the downtown property owners and business owners, 30 percent from the local government, 30 percent from the rest of community and the remaining 10 percent from grants, special events and other sources.

Main Street uses a comprehensive program that works at improving the economic vitality of a downtown through a four-point program that focuses on building a strong local Main Street program, improving the appearance of the downtown as well as retaining the character of the buildings, helping the existing businesses be more successful and sponsoring activities to bring more business to the downtown. Main Street also works to create a positive perception of the downtown.

Stuart, along with Joshua Bloom -- both representatives from the National Trust Main Street Center -- and Jeanne Stinson, Kansas Main Street director, were in Nevada Wednesday and Thursday to present a Main Street basic training course for members of existing Missouri Main Street programs as well as members of other groups that are interested in the program.

The Main Street Center has been providing training and other resources to the Missouri Main Street communities under a contract with the state of Missouri since the Missouri Department of Economic Development closed its Missouri Main Street department two years ago.

The current Missouri Main Street is governed by the Missouri Main Street Connection, which is an organization made up of the Main Street programs throughout the state.

According to Mike Seitz, Main Street Nevada president, there were program managers and volunteers from the Main Street programs in Branson, Clinton, Fayette, Lee's Summit and Warrensburg; in addition to people from the Nevada program in attendance.

Groups from Ash Grove, El Dorado Springs and Grain Valley also came, to find out more about the Main Street program.

Kimball Long, Spring City Redevelopment Group president, El Dorado Springs, said that the group she represents are not a Main Street organization yet, but its members are interested in improving their downtown.

Long said that the group of 12 people started by applying for a matching grant from the Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning District, to pay for architectural assistance to evaluate the town's downtown structures.

Their group, which was formed in January, has already visited a number of Main Street communities in Missouri and Kansas to get an idea of what other towns have done and they came to the program in Nevada to learn more.

"I was overwhelmed with the information I got," she said.