“What is Main Street?”
This seems to be the million dollar question. Main Street is simply the name of the copyrighted approach to revitalization, formed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1980. Pennsylvania adopted the Main Street Approach in 1987 and implements the approach through Pennsylvania Downtown Center. The PDC is the only statewide organization dedicated solely to the revitalization of the commonwealth’s ‘core’ communities. The Clearfield Revitalization Corporation works directly through the PDC to implement the Main Street Approach in Clearfield. The approach consists of 4-basic steps: Design, Promotion, Economic Restructuring and Organization.
The CRC operates as a 501(c)3 private non-profit public charity, and consists of a Board of Directors, a Main Street Manager, and 4 subcommittees (one for each of the 4 steps.) The manager position is the only funded staff and the Board and Subcommittees are made up of volunteers, totaling at 20. All volunteers are local business owners, employees or local residents.
Today’s topic: Step #1 – Design
The design step of the Main Street Approach focuses on the beautification of the downtown and what message it conveys to tourists and the community. This deals heavily with the cleanliness of your town, attractive storefronts and updated streetscape. First impression is everything. Your town may have it all: shops, eateries, activities and more, but if the overall look of your downtown is dirty, deteriorated and uninviting, tourists will keep on driving to the next town and your community pride will plunge. This is not what a town wants when they are trying to grow and attract families and businesses.
For the sake of example, let’s use “store A” and “store B” to explain the importance of design. Both store A and B sell the exact same product at the exact same price. The only variable between store A and store B is: store A has an updated facility, welcoming benches outside, proper lighting and signage to attract walk-by and drive-by traffic, and has a beautiful storefront. Store B on the other hand, is out of date, weeds are growing in their sidewalk, light bulbs are burnt out and signage is lacking. Based on first impression, who would you buy your product from? Most people would choose Store A. The same theory applies for your town. People are simply not going to invest in your town if they don’t feel welcomed and if they do not feel a sense of place. Plain and simple.
Clearfield was designated as an All-American City in 1966. The CRC’s ultimate goal is to become designated for this status again. We want to inspire and engage the citizen’s of Clearfield to be proud of our identity and heritage. We want to see Clearfield become a self-sustaining community that exudes detail, above-average quality and innovation. The Design Committee has big role in this process. In order for us to regain our All-America City status, we must work together to preserve the historical character of our downtown and enhance the overall image. We want to achieve visible results that enhance Clearfield’s downtown image, marketability and economic vitality. This in turn this will create a sense of that “All-American Pride” amongst the citizens of Clearfield, which will allow us to strive forward in the revitalization process.
To help bring our downtown into top shape, facade improvements grants are made available through the Department of Community and Economic Development and will be administrated by the CRC. The CRC will be unveiling this new Design Challenge Grant for Storefront and Facade Improvements at our First Annual Town Meeting.
Town Meeting Details
Jan. 20 at Moena’s Restaurant in Downtown Clearfield will be the CRC’s First Annual Town Meeting. From 4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. meet and greet with the CRC, and stay for our presentation at 5:15 p.m., where we’ll be unveiling our new Facade Grant Program. The Design Committee will present the new program and review details of how easy it is to take advantage of this opportunity and the importance of facade improvement. Applications will be available, which will be due on Feb. 24. If you are interested in the program but unable to attend, I encourage you to contact myself, personally, at 765-6000 or via e-mail at crc.manager@gmail.com.
Clearfield Revitalization Corporation, (CRC)
“Leading the Revitalization of the All-American People, Places and Spirit of Clearfield, PA.”
*For more information about Main Street Approach and the PDC, please visit PADowntown.org.
For additional information about the Clearfield Revitalization Corporation or to make a contribution, please contact the CRC, P.O. Box 75, Clearfield, PA 16830.