Tuscumbia officials, business owners meet with Main Street Alabama

City officials, business owners and other interested parties met with a representative of Main Street Alabama at Helen Keller Public Library in Tuscumbia on June 11.

The meeting was held to educate attendees on what Main Street Alabama is, what it does and how that benefits cities that partner with the organization.

According to its website, Main Street Alabama is a nonprofit organization that stresses public-private partnerships, broad community engagement and strategies that create jobs, spark new investment, attract visitors and spur growth. Main Street builds on the authentic history, culture and attributes of specific places to bring sustainable change.

Mariah Montgomery, Program Development Specialist for Main Street Alabama, spoke about the organization and the four-point approach it uses as its model for revitalization efforts: organization, promotion, design and economic vitality.

“When people think of Main Street, they think of festivals and sometimes pretty buildings, but it’s really so much more than that,” Montgomery said. “It is about driving long-term economic growth through a strategy that has been proven nationwide.”

Organization establishes consensus and cooperation by building partnerships among the various groups that have a stake in the commercial district.

The goal of promotion is to create a positive image that will rekindle community pride and improve consumer and investor confidence in your commercial district.

Design means getting your area into top physical shape and creating a safe, inviting environment for shoppers, workers and visitors.

Economic Vitality strengthens your community’s existing economic assets while diversifying its economic base. This is accomplished by retaining and expanding successful businesses to provide a balanced commercial mix, sharpening the competitiveness and merchandising skills of business owners, and attracting new businesses that the market can support.

“If you don’t have all four points working together, that long-term change isn’t in the cards,” Montgomery said.

Main Street Alabama began as a state-funded program through the Alabama Historical Commission.

It ran from the 1980s until budget cuts led to the dissolution of the program in 2003-2004.

However, Main Street Alabama returned as a nonprofit organization in 2009.

Montgomery said there are 33 designated communities and 32 network communities in Alabama.

According to the Main Street Alabama website, the Network is an introductory level for communities who care about their historic downtown or neighborhood commercial district and are interested in learning more about the Main Street Approach.

Communities at this level will receive assistance from Main Street Alabama on organizing a public/private partnership to share their desire for an improved district and begin needed conversations.

Tuscumbia was part of the Main Street program when it was state-run, but now the city has returned to the mix as a network community.

Florence is a designated community, a higher tier in Main Street Alabama which allows the city to use Main Street branding and other benefits like a higher level of service.