Guide to Downtown Development
Whether you are a seasoned or new Main Street manager, it can be challenging to understand what your role in development is within your community. Each Main Street community is unique and has different needs, finding out how you fit within your community is essential in providing the support for your local needs. The section below provides a breakdown of the different types of roles you can play within your Main Street.
Main Street Manager Roles
Understanding your role in development as a cheerleader, facilitator, developer, or a combination of the three. As a Main Street manager, you may find yourself falling into one or multiple roles highlighted based on your local needs.
- Cheerleader: Build public and political support for projects.
- Garner support from local leadership
- Promote opportunities on social media
- Address zoning or building concerns
- Advocate at public meetings with economic challenges and community priorities in mind
- Work with developer to build support
- Facilitator: Connect investors to opportunities
- Identify and promote development priorities
- Explore surplus properties
- Help leverage grant opportunities
- Ensuring regulatory frameworks (planning, zoning, fee waivers) support successful projects
- Developer: Play an active role in developing properties
- Acquire properties
- Leverage grants
- Form development teams
- Complete financial and design analyses to turn concepts into actionable development plans, often through partnerships
Learning the Six Cs of Development
The discussions below provide a step-by-step guide to provide a better understanding of the development process. You aren't expected to be a pro when it comes to developments, but having a working understanding allows you to identify needs that can be filled within your community's Main Street!
The following steps provide the framework for the development process and will be further explored in the following sections: