Main Street Marks 20-Year Anniversary

For 20 years, the Wisconsin Main Street Program has helped communities revitalize their downtowns through a comprehensive, four–point approach: design, organization, promotion and economic restructuring. Downtowns across Wisconsin are once again thriving centers of commerce, culture, and community pride. It was time to celebrate these achievements at a gala held May 22 at Madison's Monona Terrace.

The gala drew more than 350 former and current program managers, volunteers, and business and program supporters. The guests mingled and read awards plaques at the reception in the Monona Terrace Ballroom. The ballroom's large, arched windows looked out on the bright spring sun and the rippling blue waters of Lake Monona. It was a reflective occasion as guests shared stories of great and not-so-great projects, congratulated each other on their achievements, and talked about the challenges to come.

Kevin Pomeroy spent 9-1/2 years closely associated with the Main Street Program. He guided Stoughton through a successful application process and then served as its first Main Street Manager from 1989 to 1992 . He spent the next six years as design specialties of the State Main Street Program. Currently, he's a planning director for 1,000 Friends of Wisconsin.

"The biggest change I've seen over the years is the way communities view their downtowns," Pomeroy said. "When Main Street began, we had to sell the idea of downtown revitalization. But now, we've reached a consensus us across Wisconsin that downtowns are worth preserving, that they add value to communities, and that it is worthwhile to undertake the effort to revitalize them."

Pomeroy reflected that the state program took on a significant challenge in 1995 when it selected Green Bay's Broadway business district for inclusion.

"Green Bay was much larger than the other communities we'd selected, and the Broadway district was one of the city's most blighted areas," he said. "But On Broadway was and is a dedicated, hard-working local program. We formed a great partnership with that program. On Broadway successfully transformed the area to the point that it's now Green Bay's preeminent downtown destination.

"The On Broadway project proved that the Main Street four-point approach could work well in an urban business district,"

Lisa Maurer has served as the Lake Mills program manager since 1996, the year it was selected to the program. She also spearheaded the application process. She credited a presentation by state Main Street Director Jim Engel as the spark that ignited her interest in Main Street.

"At first, there was a lot of skepticism about trying to join Main Street, because our city has been turned down in the mid-90s," Maurer said. "But this time, we were able to muster strong grass-roots support, identify program funding, and develop an active, enthusiastic volunteer base."

Maurer commented that her greatest challenge is to help the community focus on one goal at a time. "There's so much enthusiasm that volunteers are calling all the time, wanting to work on projects."

Maurer echoed the comments of other Main Street managers in saying that her position was among the most visible in the community.

"I really felt connected to the people of this community," she said. "Residents would approach me on the street and in the supermarket, everywhere, to give me their thoughts on downtown and ask about our efforts to meet various challenges."

Maurer thinks Main Street works because it connects businesses and their customers in a common partnership to strengthen the community.

"It's much more sustainable, and much less expensive, to redevelop existing business districts than create new ones at the edge of town," she said.

After dinner, Commerce Deputy Secretary Aaron Olver offered a welcome on behalf of Gov. Jim Doyle and Secretary Jack L. Fischer, AIA, both of whom were unable to attend due to a trade mission in Canada. Olver noted that Main Street Program communities had generated nearly $1 billion in public and private investment and attracted 3,500 new businesses that have created more than 15,000 jobs in their central business districts.

"Despite these accomplishments, the Main Street Program is somewhat under-recognized, " Olver continued, "maybe because state government doesn't hold press conferences and give out oversize checks to the communities. But we're well aware of Main Street's outstanding contributions to economic development."

"Tonight, as we recognize the best projects over the past 20 years and all of the accomplishments of this program, it's like Academy Awards night for Main Street Managers and volunteers," he said. Olver also presented a Governor's plaque to Portage in honor of its completion of five years in the Main Street Program.

David Brown, executive vice president, National trust for Historic Presentation, congratulated the Wisconsin program for 20 years of strong partnership with his agency. He noted that a Wisconsin community, Sheboygan Falls, received the first-ever great American Main Street designation in 1995, followed by Chippewa Falls in 1996 and La Crosse in 2002.

"Wisconsin cares about historic preservation," he said. "Wisconsin understands the value of preserving downtown as the face of the community."

Brown said he'd grown up appreciating community and history in downtown Murfreesboro, TN, which four generations of his family had called home.

"Our history was everywhere around me," he said. "I could walk a few blocks to the site of the Battle of Stones River, where Wisconsin's 5th Brigade served with distinction.

"Our downtown building stock was notably diverse, from sprawling Queen Annes to what we'd today call low-income housing to apartments above retail stores. People of different races and ages and socioeconomic classes lived side by side," Brown said. They knew each other's joys and challenges, cared for each other, and cared for their community because they all had a stake in its success. Children were safe because the neighbors were always looking out for them.

"Today, we are building too many sprawling, soulless housing districts," Brown said. "Our children have no sense of their history and are disconnected not only from their neighbors but from any sense belonging to a community."

"Stories are the soul of history, and Main Street preserves those stories," he said.

---Tony Hozeny