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Okeechobee
Main Street, Inc. is a non-profit organization with roots dating
back to 1980 when the National Trust for Historic Preservation formed
the Main Street program.
Since 1980, the National Main Street Center has been working with
communities across the nation to revitalize their historic or
traditional commercial areas. Based in historic preservation, the
Main Street approach was developed to save historic commercial
architecture and the fabric of American communities' built
environment, but has become a powerful economic development tool as
well. |
501
(C) 3 Determination |
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The Main
Street program is designed to improve all aspects of the downtown or
central business district, producing both tangible and intangible
benefits. Improving economic management, strengthening public
participation, and making downtown a fun place to visit are as
critical to Main Street's future as recruiting new businesses,
rehabilitating buildings, and expanding parking. Building on
downtown's inherent assets -- rich architecture, personal service,
and traditional values and most of all, a sense of place -- the Main
Street approach has rekindled entrepreneurship, downtown cooperation
and civic concern. It has earned national recognition as a practical
strategy appropriately scaled to a community's local resources and
conditions. And because it is a locally driven program, all
initiative stems from local issues and concerns. |
