FOUR-POINT APPROACH

The Main Street Arkansas program encourages development and revitalization of downtown commercial areas in small cities and towns across Arkansas. The comprehensive program uses the Main Street Four Point Approach to downtown revitalization, focusing on organization, design, promotion, and economic restructuring.

Downtown West Memphis has seen millions of dollars in streetscape improvements.

Main Street Helena joined the network in 1984

Main Street works with these four points, because each is vital to a successful downtown revitalization. What good is a promotion that draws hundreds of people downtown if all they see are dirty, vacant buildings? What good are building rehabilitations if they are not filled with viable businesses? What good are downtown improvements if they are not promoted and people don't know what is available downtown?

The Main Street approach builds on the idea of the downtown's total image. Main Street considers the physical image as well as less tangible aspects: how people feel about their downtown and how they can work together to improve and maintain it.

The Main Street Arkansas staff provides economic development, design, organizational, and promotional assistance to cities that successfully secure Main Street status. This assistance is concentrated in the first three years but continues on an as-needed level as the local program matures.

Through the National Main Street Center, Main Street Arkansas is associated with over 1,600 cities and towns in more than 40 states that are also working toward downtown revitalization using the Main Street Four Point Approach. The lessons learned can be used to the benefit of all Arkansas communities.

The Main Street approach to downtown revitalization focuses on four areas:

Organization is the key to a successful downtown revitalization program. Strong organization provides the stability to build and maintain a long-term effort. Organization helps such diverse groups as bankers, city officials, merchants, chambers of a commerce, civic organizations, and individual citizens to work together more effectively.

The Frisco Park and Trail Enhancement Park

A good downtown design program always leads to an improved environment—one that reflects the present as well as the past. There is no formula for good downtown design, just an appreciation of Main Street's unique assets and an eye for improvements that are compatible with the existing environment.

All components that communicate a visual message to consumers about the downtown should be addressed by the revitalization effort's design improvement program, including buildings, public improvements, signs, parking, merchandise presentation, and graphics, managed trees and green space.

Promotion seeks to enhance the image of downtown as an exciting community center, a meeting place, and a gathering spot filled with activity, thriving stores, successful businesses, quality service, and social activity.

The three basic types of promotion necessary for a strong downtown revitalization program are retail promotions, special events and image-building promotions. Retail promotions are designed to promote the goods and services by downtown businesses and to generate immediate retail sales. Special events are meant to generate eventual, not immediate, retail sales for downtown businesses. Image-building promotions help reverse negative perceptions of downtown and create a healthy image.

Old Hardy Malt Shoppe

Economic Restructuring. Rebuilding the downtown's economic vitality, is the ultimate goal of all Main Street programs. Downtown commercial areas have declined in relative value over the past few decades because of changes in customer lifestyles and community values. Overbuilt commercial areas and resistance to change have all played a role in the downtown's economic decay. Reversing this trend and establishing a direction for the downtown's economic growth is central to the revitalization process and is the ultimate measure of a Main Street program's success.

Economic restructuring diversifies the downtown economy. This involves business retention and recruitment, the development of imaginative merchandising techniques, finding new uses for vacant space, incorporating trees and green space into the area to invite visitors to linger and attracting new retail and non-retail functions (offices, residential, and recreational uses) to strengthen and diversify downtown's economic base.