PROGRAM SUMMARY

June Program – Main Street Initiatives

CREW DC's June Program featured the National Trust's Main St. Program and specific Main St. initiatives in the District of Columbia.

Lynn Hackney, President of EYA/Urban, introduced the panel which included: Kennedy Smith, Director of the National Main Street Center for the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Jackie Randolph, reStore DC, the office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, District of Columbia; Carol Felix, Executive Director of the 14 th & U Street Initiative; and Toby Millman, Vice-President of Adbo Development.

Kennedy Smith began the program by outlining the four points that characterize the Main St. approach, a balanced process that integrates:

• Design – the aesthetics, architecture and character of the community.
• Organization – building collaborative partnerships within the community.
• Promotion – marketing ideas and concepts to the community.
• Economic Restructuring – support through financial incentives.

Fifty years ago downtowns were vital and active. Changes in land use and the Interstate Highway Act changed the dynamics of our cities as people moved into the suburbs. Retail also moved with the people. First gas stations, food stores and eventually the birth of the shopping mall. The first attempts to revitalize city downtowns often made them look like a shopping mall. Today the trend is movement back to the city. Larger retailers are moving back to Main St. Some areas are establishing retail size caps to control the scale of these ventures and preserve the character of their community. Small businesses are also moving back thanks to mentorship programs and the Internet, which has influenced sales because location is no longer an important factor for some businesses.

Kennedy emphasized that the key to a successful revitalization project is to keep a slow pace, making small changes and progressive development through partnerships, getting a variety of groups involved and contributing ideas and leveling the playing field to make development easier.

Jackie, reStore DC, encouraged CREW members to get involved in the twelve local programs in the District:

• 14th Street Heights
• Dupont Circle
• Brookland
• Barracks Row
• Anacostia
• Adams Morgan
• Shaw
• North Capitol
• Mount Pleasant
• H Street, NE
• Gateway Georgia Ave.
• 14th & U streets, NW

The DC government provides incentive programs and funding for the initiatives through the following programs: e-BIC & Business Resource, SBZ 504 Loans, CD-TAP Awards and CP-A&D Awards.

Carol Felix became active in her Logan Circle community and now chairs the 14 th & U St. initiative.

Her version of the Main St. four steps follows:

• Understand the character of the neighborhood. The diverse groups needed for partnerships don't want massive changes and don't want to change the basic character of their community.
• Create an environment to encourage retailers. Their community promoted a retail plan to become a Home Furnishings District. To date they have been successful in bringing in fourteen businesses whose main focus is in furnishings.
• Motivate local business leaders to say yes.
• Get involved.

Toby Millman of Abdo Development outlined what he looks for in a project that will convince financial partners to invest.

1. There is a sense of place and architecture.
2. There is a good stock of buildings that are in a condition for development
3. There are amenities, such as, parks and farmer markets already in place.
4. The area is clean, free of graffiti etc.
5. There is already a seed of retail.
6. There is neighborhood activism, community groups or associations, or a Main St. program.

Back to Top