Study shows Main Street program’s economic impact; workshop coming Oct. 28

Published on October 25, 2016

What do Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Auburn, Foresthill, Loomis, Colfax, Kings Beach and Tahoe City all have in common? In addition to being wonderful places to live, work and play, they also have charming downtowns that epitomize Main Street USA.

Main Streets are an important fabric of Placer County’s cities. These districts are reminders of our community’s heritage while carrying forth the prosperity of economic development and strengthening our neighborly bonds.

In an effort to help support and promote downtown development, programming and business development in each of the county’s downtown districts, the Placer County Economic Development Board has developed a task force to evaluate the Main Street Approach, a framework that guides community based revitalization efforts.

Building off three-decades of success, the Main Street Approach model harnesses the social, economic, physical and cultural assets that make each downtown district unique.

Earlier this month, task force members consisting of representatives from Auburn, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln and Placer County joined other business representatives from all over the county including North Lake Tahoe for a tour of a well-established Main Street program in Livermore.

During the tour, representatives with Livermore’s Main Street program offered candid reflections about the challenges of the city’s approach to revitalization, including how to fund it. The Livermore Main Street program has been around for 30 years and participants received many good ideas on the opportunities associated with having a formal Main Street program.

“The Main Street Approach is tried and true, and learning how the program operates, then seeing the results first hand is really inspiring,” said City of Lincoln economic development manager, Shawn Tillman. “Business and property owners, chamber leaders and representatives from several Placer County jurisdictions brought back tremendous insight from the visit."

The North Lake Tahoe communities of Kings Beach and Tahoe City follow the Main Street Approach as a guide. The program focuses on business revitalization, and economic and community vitality. This includes: advocating for businesses’ sustainability and expansion, providing a single powerful voice for the business community and connecting businesses to resources and information.

“I am drawn to the Main Street program because it leverages existing assets like historic buildings and local independent businesses,” said Placer County Economic Development Board Vice-Chair, Veronica Blake. “It was remarkable to see how the approach worked in Livermore and to expose participants to the possibilities. Downtown districts in Placer County are unique and wonderful places that should be celebrated. They stimulate tourism, create employment, increase property and sales taxes and enhance our quality of life and the sense of neighborhood and community pride,” Blake added.

As a follow up to the study mission, the Placer County Economic Development Board is partnering with the National Main Street Center and US Bank to offer a workshop for the Sacramento Region that will focus on tips, tools and resources to help create ecosystems of entrepreneurship in the county’s respective downtowns.

The workshop is a rare opportunity as the National Main Street Center and US Bank are only co-hosting workshops in four U.S. cities; Little Rock, Arkansas, Cleveland, Ohio, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Roseville, California:

Creating an Ecosystem of Entrepreneurship

October 28
8:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Tower Theatre
417 Vernon Street, Roseville

Business and/or property owners located in downtown districts within the Sacramento region, economic development professionals, elected officials and others interested in promoting downtown development, business development, innovation and entrepreneurship are encouraged to attend this free event.

To RSVP, visit their website or call 530-885-4920.

To learn more about Main Street programs visit the California Main Street Alliance and the National Main Street Center.