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When looking to the future and how to appropriately manage community growth, it is vital to have development tools in place. Over the years, the City of Georgetown has worked hard to maintain its character while also maximizing opportunities for economic development and for enhancing the quality of life for its residents. It has been a city council priority to manage growth through implementing a toolbox of resources for our city.
Georgetown has encountered explosive growth over the past 10 years. The population has doubled from 35,000 to over 70,000 since 2010 and the city has been included in the list of top 10 fastest growing cities in the U.S. with a population over 50,000 in the last 5 years. Without the proper tools and resources in place, the city would likely be unprepared to manage this growth and the new developments that come along with it.
As an almost 40-year participant in the Main Street Program, Georgetown has developed a strong Downtown Master Plan that helps serve as a guide-point for planning efforts in downtown. In addition to the Master Plan, the city worked to establish Downtown Design Guidelines, a Main Street Façade & Sign Grant Program, and numerous studies that allows staff to better know the existing resources and what resource areas need to be better addressed.
Downtown Master Plan
The first Downtown Master Plan was created in 2003 and most recently updated in 2013 with another update to the plan on the horizon. The Master Plan provides a framework for Georgetown to use in planning for the future of downtown. Many planning decisions have been made carefully, with close consideration of the impacts and benefits of development and recognition of long-term city policies. The importance of current decisions spurred by recent growth and of maintaining the small-town character of the downtown is evident in community involvement in the planning process.
The Master Plan implementation strategies include coordinated efforts between public and private entities through a proactive and responsive approach. It also includes suggested catalyst projects and strategic planning within the annual CIP plan.
City leaders established a cross-departmental “Downtown Team” to tackle these strategies. The team includes staff from the Economic Development Department, Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Planning Department, Public Works Department, Engineering Department, Arts and Culture Department, and Communications Department. The benefits of this team come from the diverse experiences and perspectives each member brings to the table. The team-based approach has paid off in dividends as evidenced by the successes seen in downtown since its establishment.
Storefronts along Austin Avenue. Photo credit: City of Georgetown
Downtown Design Guidelines
With the creation of the Master Plan, the need for a companion document with guidelines for redevelopment and new development was needed. In 2012, as the community started to see an even greater uptick in growth patterns, the Downtown and Old Town Overlay Design Guidelines were established to prepare for the growth that would come in both downtown and the surrounding Old Town neighborhood. The Design Guidelines are for property owners planning exterior alterations or the rehabilitation of existing buildings. They also apply to the design of new buildings.
The Design Guidelines are intended to assist property owners in understanding the historic character of the buildings and environment in which they are located when they are faced with decisions about repair, maintenance, rehabilitation, and new construction. They are not a rigid set of rules and do not require that buildings be restored to a particular historical time period or style. The Design Guidelines help the community to maintain the unique character through a thoughtful approach to development and redevelopment.
Main Street Façade & Sign Grant Program
With a Master Plan in place, the City knew where it wanted to go, but once again saw the need for another tool in their resource toolbox. In 1998, a council resolution was passed to create a Main Street Façade Fund to be used on façade improvements to the buildings in downtown. The first few years were spent building the fund balance and in 2004, the first five awards were granted at just over $17,000 total.
The grant program has grown since that time, and in 2019 the Main Street Board granted over $70,000 in awards bringing the total grant investment in downtown properties to over $500,000 in the last 15 years. The grant program now covers roof repairs and replacement, foundation work, ADA improvements, and fire suppression. Anything that can help extend the life of a historic structure is covered under the grant program. Nearly every building on the courthouse square has benefited from a grant, and more applications have been considered in recent years for properties off the square which helps extend the beauty of the restored downtown.
Retail Study
In Georgetown, Main Street is part of the Economic Development Department in the City. As such, the strategies for development are targeted and based upon a retail study that was conducted in 2016. The benefits of having a retail study helps staff better understand the community’s overall business mix and where there is “leakage” in the market. With the retail study, staff has developed targeted recruitment strategies with successful results.
Parking Study
One thing that every downtown professional, business, or developer can agree on is that there will never be enough parking in downtown, whether that problem is real or perceived. A walking problem is more likely the challenge in most communities, but the perception that downtown has no parking will almost always exist.
In 2015, with continued redevelopment, a parking study was conducted to identify and put together a plan to address parking concerns. The plan has been very helpful for staff to better understand where problems exist and work on a phased approach at addressing short-term and long-term improvements in this area.
Adequate parking and sidewalk availability creates space to support the town's classic events, such as the Georgetown Swirl (left) and the Blazin Beer Crawl (Right). Photo credit: City of Georgetown
Sidewalk Master Plan
During the same time the parking study was being conducted, a Sidewalk Master Plan was developed to help with planning for upgrades to inadequate infrastructure, funding mechanisms, and similar short-term and long-term improvements. If the city wanted to properly address concerns over parking, they needed to also address alternative forms of transportation in and around downtown.
Projects identified in this plan are still being implemented on an annual basis based on funding allocations and construction timelines. Without this plan, there would not be a clear priority for where sidewalks were needed, what areas needed repair, and what ranked the most important for CIP timing purposes.
The Importance of Good Planning
Without a plan in place, how does a community know where it wants to go? It’s been a long road for Georgetown to get to where it is today. A key piece to successful community development is great leadership and great planning. The commitment to downtown revitalization has always been the guiding light for this community. The city council’s vision statement captures the spirit of the community best, Georgetown: a caring community honoring our past and innovating for the future.
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District Spotlight: Pontiac, Michigan
In response, UrbanMain and Main Street Oakland County joined forces in March 2018 to assist Pontiac stakeholders in putting their downtown organization back on a positive track, making Pontiac the first community in Michigan to participate in the UrbanMain initiative.
2018 Partners in Preservation: Main Streets Winning Sites
American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Main Street America announced the winners of the 2018 Partners in Preservation: Main Streets campaign.
2018 Community Transformation Workshop Recap
An essential component of the Main Street America Institute, the three-day in-person workshop gives participants hands-on tools to enact revitalization projects in their communities.
A Statewide Movement Improving West Virginia Main Streets
Since 2013, Try This West Virginia has sought to improve health environments in local communities as a collaboration of organizations working together to combat the health challenges facing West Virginians.
Community Spotlight: Main Street Hampton
Main Street Hampton hosted a Food and Friends Farm-to-Table dinner at the Rustic Brew during Main Street Iowa Restaurant Week.
Community Spotlight: Partners in Preservation 2018
From community gathering spaces to retail incubators, from small towns to big cities – this year’s projects and communities are a testament to the diversity of Main Streets across the country.
Community Spotlight: Ames, Iowa
Downtown Ames hosted a festival for the 46th annual RAGBRAI race (The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa).
7 Ways To Bring Your Main Street On Screen
You don’t need to be a big-name district to make a video that goes viral; you just need to know what you’re doing.
Comcast Newsmakers: Revitalizing Downtown
Matt Wagner, National Main Street Center's Vice President of Revitalization Programs, discusses competitive advantages, incrementalism and the power of the Main Street America network
Community Spotlight: Main Street Homer, Louisiana
Main Street Homer (Homer, Louisiana) was awarded a $25,000 A Community Thrives social impact grant from Gannett/USA Today Network to create an arts center with affordable artist studios and classroom/event space.
Evolution, Acceptance, and Change: The Main Street Approach as a Catalyst for Revitalization
Nearly slated for demolition 30 years ago, downtown Cedar Falls has experienced an amazing transformation through its revitalization journey using the Main Street Approach.
Main Street Roots Run Deep in Downtown Wytheville
Since starting as Executive Director, Todd has helped the organization achieve Virginia Main Street Designation Status and national Accreditation.
Announcing the 2018 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center, Inc., announced Downtown Oregon City, Rock Springs Main Street/Urban Renewal Agency, and Howell Main Street as the 2018 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners during its annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
Main Streets in Action
We rolled out four new Main Street America videos highlighting the power of the Main Street movement, Main Street Approach, economic impact of Main Street, and the incredible volunteers that make Main Street's grassroots network so effective.
Community Spotlight: Ridgefield Main Street
Ridgefield Main Street is an energetic, up-and-coming Washington Main Street program located just north of Vancouver, Washington.
Want to do something big? Start small.
A series of small, incremental improvements, when taken together, provide momentum for long-term economic transformation and improved quality of life in a community.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: The Refresh from Our Communities’ Perspective
Here's a bit of background on each of the communities. Read on for the Refresh Implementation Q&A.
Announcing the 2017 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) during its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Reality of Main Street — Letter from the President
The National Main Street Center and the Brookings Institution have jointly authored a response to Mr. Hyman’s piece, The Reality of Main Street, that is featured on Brookings’ blog.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: Our Process and Lessons Learned So Far
Michigan Main Street Center was the first Coordinating Program to implement the new Main Street approach on a large scale. In this article, they share their robust process and valuable lessons.
The Reality of Main Street
There is another way for smaller communities to compete in today’s economy and we believe a strong main street strategy is at the heart of it.
The Myth of Main Street? Letter from the President
Letter from past MSA President, Patrice Frey
The Lowdown in Downtown LaBelle
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Strategic Planning Through Transformation Strategies – Saline, Michigan
Back in October 2015, we introduced the three key components of the refreshed Main Street Approach: inputs, outputs and Community Transformation Strategies.
Revitalization and Main Street Transformation
For a lucky few downtowns, greatness may happen effortlessly with a strong sense of place that seems to develop organically and simply sustain itself. For most places, success doesn’t happen by chance.
Revisit Your Community’s Unique Assets: Connecting Asset-Based Economic Development to Community Transformation Strategies
This need for change results from the heavy emphasis on three components of the refreshed Main Street Approach.
The 2016 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The 2016 winners are a diverse group in geography and character, but together demonstrate the broad applicability of the Main Street Approach:
Main Street Nation Radio
The first official show under the Main Street Nation banner aired in June 2015 on WJR-760 AM Detroit.
The Path To The Future
The economic value of historic preservation on Main Street.
Refresh Demonstration Project Sites: Learning Labs for the Updated Main Street Approach
A series of demonstration projects providing the opportunity to test new strategies on the ground, learn from practitioners, and refine the approach.
Why Business Retention and Expansion Plans are Important for Downtowns
A business retention and expansion plan, properly implemented, not only helps keep businesses open but possibly even helps them expand.
Wisconsin Main Street: 27 Years of People, Places and Progress
While there have been over $1.2 billion in public and private investment in Wisconsin Main Street communities over the past 27 years, what really makes it special are the people and places that have been involved.
Pop-Up Art Tour
Main Street Bartow's empty storefronts become pop-up art galleries to promote economic development.
A Walk Through Rehoboth Beach Main Street
Although a “beach town,” Rehoboth Beach is open 365 days a year, and with that has the unique challenge of catering to both year-round residents and tourists within a wide range of ages, interests and economic levels
Independent We Stand Makes Main Streets a Priority
In communities across the country, hardworking business owners and buy local advocates come together to foster an organized effort to reinvent and revitalize Main Streets and downtown districts.
Announcing the 2015 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce that Cape Girardeau, Mo., Montclair Center, N.J., and Rawlins, Wyo. were selected as the 2015 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winners.
