It's time for Apopka to start a Main Street program

The Florida Main Street Approach is an effective tool to develop a strong emotional, social, and civic connection with a city or place. Citizens are motivated to get involved to make a difference in their local community. Apathy is vanquished and collaborative effort is forged.

This Main Street approach is particularly effective where existing assets such as older and historic buildings can be leveraged. It encourages cities to take steps to enact long term change, while simultaneously implementing short term, inexpensive, and place-based activities which attract people to the commercial core of the city. It creates a sense of enthusiasm and momentum for improvement. The vocabulary I’m learning is that strategies “activate” blighted places.

While the Main Street Program has been around for three decades I believe it is never to late to start. The model harnesses the social, economic, physical, and cultural assets that set a location apart from others. It ultimately leads to tangible outcomes which benefit everyone. The work makes a city a destination, a place everyone wants to be.

Florida Main Street Program promulgates a four-point strategy. The first goal is to build economic vitality. Growing a diverse economic base, catalyzing smart new investment, and cultivating a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem is part of growing economic vitality.

The second goal involves design. Creating an inviting, inclusive atmosphere is a critical piece. Celebrating historic character and fostering accessible people-centered public spaces are the goals.

Building a strong organization is key to success. Developing a leadership team and strong organizational capacity is vital. Ensuring broad community engagement is critical as is forging partnerships across various social, business, and governmental sectors. Funding generally comes from local governments and small area businesses. Fund raising while critical, should not be the sole role of a Main Street Executive Director. They must enjoy community support to work the plan with fidelity.

Marketing and promotion are key components of Main Street strategies. Communicating the unique features of a city through storytelling is vital. Also developing a buy-local experience is also critical for any successful Main Street.

Some tips for building good programs add that a Main Street should be about more than just economic vitality and preservation. It’s about building the entire community at its core. Main Street Board of Directors should find ways to integrate economic vitality and preservation into broader community-focused initiatives. Showing that preservation includes structure, form, and culture as a valued part in community planning and economic development. Finding people with this vision is key to building a strong Main Street organization.

Florida Main Street is part of a national program begun more than 40 years ago. The National Main Street Program is dedicated to helping communities across the country revitalize their historic downtowns and create vibrant, people-centered places to live, work, and play. The agency believes Main Streets are the core of a community. They are gathering places, historic destinations, business centers, innovation labs, parks, art, and much more. The National Main Street movement is a coast-to-coast network of more than 1,400 state, regional, and local programs linked through this preservation-based strategy for rebuilding the places and enterprises which make our cities sustainable, vibrant, and unique.

Don’t you think it is time for Orange County, and the cities of Apopka and Ocoee to start and support a Main Street Program? Please follow this series of articles on historic preservation and building character Main Streets. Let me know what you think at District2@ocfl.net.

Editor's Note: This is the second of a four-part series from Commissioner Moore about effective downtowns and preserving history.