Welcome to Two Rivers Main Street,
Inc.
The
mission of the Two Rivers Main Street program is to
improve the community's quality of life by
strengthening the Downtown as the center of the
community through concentrated efforts in Organization,
Promotion, Design and Economic Restructuring.
Two Rivers Main Street, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) educational
non-profit corporation that was accepted into the
Wisconsin Main Street Program in 1995. We are governed
by a 13 member volunteer Board of Directors, and
operate with a professional executive director and
staff and hundreds of dedicated and talented
volunteers.
What exactly is the Main Street Approach?
The Main Street Program is a
comprehensive revitalization program designed to
promote the historic and economic redevelopment of
traditional business districts in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Main Street Program was established in 1987 to encourage and support the revitalization of downtowns in Wisconsin communities. Each year, the Department of Commerce selects communities to join the program. These communities receive technical support and training needed to restore their Main Streets to centers of community activity and commerce.
The results in Wisconsin have been impressive. Wisconsin Main Street Programs have brought significant numbers of new businesses and jobs to their respective downtowns. Facade improvements and building rehabilitation projects have upgraded the image of Main Street. Promotional activities bring the community together in a positive way.
Main Street Benefits
Investment
In the first five years of a local Main Street program, the state of Wisconsin invests approximately $125,000 in on-site visits, training, and technical assistance.
The Wisconsin Main Street Program, the National Main Street Center, and private consultants spend more than 80 days in each new community during the start-up phase.
After the start-up phase, the state annually invests approximately $5,000 in each Main Street community to provide quarterly volunteer and director training sessions, design assistance, business consultations, and town-specific technical assistance. Other benefits are an annual awards ceremony, cooperative marketing opportunities, and an extensive library of slides, videos, and printed materials. In addition, scholarships are available for local Main Street program directors to attend the National Town Meeting on Main Street.
Results
Together, Wisconsin Main Street communities have impacted the heart and soul of our communities—the downtowns. A significant number of new jobs have been created; many new businesses have been attracted; and millions of dollars have been privately invested in the communities.
Successful applicants are committed to the following key principles:
• Establishment of a volunteer board of directors
• Procurement of stable, local funding
• Development of public/private partnerships
• Commitment to hire a program manager
• Commitment to the four-point approach
• Establishment of a well-defined commercial district
• Commitment to historic preservation and
• Willingness to work and succeed over time
The Wisconsin Main Street Program was established in 1987 to encourage and support the revitalization of downtowns in Wisconsin communities. Each year, the Department of Commerce selects communities to join the program. These communities receive technical support and training needed to restore their Main Streets to centers of community activity and commerce.
The results in Wisconsin have been impressive. Wisconsin Main Street Programs have brought significant numbers of new businesses and jobs to their respective downtowns. Facade improvements and building rehabilitation projects have upgraded the image of Main Street. Promotional activities bring the community together in a positive way.
Main Street Benefits
Investment
In the first five years of a local Main Street program, the state of Wisconsin invests approximately $125,000 in on-site visits, training, and technical assistance.
The Wisconsin Main Street Program, the National Main Street Center, and private consultants spend more than 80 days in each new community during the start-up phase.
After the start-up phase, the state annually invests approximately $5,000 in each Main Street community to provide quarterly volunteer and director training sessions, design assistance, business consultations, and town-specific technical assistance. Other benefits are an annual awards ceremony, cooperative marketing opportunities, and an extensive library of slides, videos, and printed materials. In addition, scholarships are available for local Main Street program directors to attend the National Town Meeting on Main Street.
Results
Together, Wisconsin Main Street communities have impacted the heart and soul of our communities—the downtowns. A significant number of new jobs have been created; many new businesses have been attracted; and millions of dollars have been privately invested in the communities.
Successful applicants are committed to the following key principles:
• Establishment of a volunteer board of directors
• Procurement of stable, local funding
• Development of public/private partnerships
• Commitment to hire a program manager
• Commitment to the four-point approach
• Establishment of a well-defined commercial district
• Commitment to historic preservation and
• Willingness to work and succeed over time
10 Reasons Downtown is Important
10 Reasons Our Downtown is Important
1. Our central business district is a prominent employment center. Even the smallest downtowns employ hundreds of people. Downtown is one of the largest "employers" in our community.
2. As a business center, our downtown plays a major role. It represents the largest concentration of business in our community.
3. A downtown is a reflection of how a community sees itself. . .a critical factor in business retention and recruitment efforts. If we neglect our downtown, outsiders will see this neglect as a reflection of our entire community and its citizens.
4. Our downtown represents a significant portion of our community's tax base. If this district declines, its property will decrease in value. This increases the tax burden on other parts of our community.
5. The central business district is an indispensable shopping and service center in our community. Though it may not hold the place as our community's most dominant shopping center, it still includes unique shopping and service opportunities.
6. Our downtown is the historic core of our community. Many of the buildings are historically significant. They should be preserved to help highlight our community's history.
7. Downtown represents a vast amount of public and private investment. Imagine paying to recreate all the public infrastructure and real estate in a central business district. Imagine the waste of past dollars spent if the downtown is neglected.
8. A central business district is often a major tourist draw. When people travel, they want to see unique places. . .there isn't another downtown like ours in the world!
9. Downtown is usually a government center. It is where our city hall, and post office are located. This "one stop" shopping for government services is a notable feature of downtowns across the state.
10. And, perhaps most important, our downtown provides a sense of community and place. As Carole Rifkind, author of Main Street: The Face of Urban America wrote,
". . .as Main Street, it was uniquely America, a powerful symbol of shared experience, of common memory, of the challenge and the struggle of building a civilization. . .Main Street was always familiar, always recognizable as the heart and soul of village, town or city." In the end, this is why we revitalize our downtowns.
1. Our central business district is a prominent employment center. Even the smallest downtowns employ hundreds of people. Downtown is one of the largest "employers" in our community.
2. As a business center, our downtown plays a major role. It represents the largest concentration of business in our community.
3. A downtown is a reflection of how a community sees itself. . .a critical factor in business retention and recruitment efforts. If we neglect our downtown, outsiders will see this neglect as a reflection of our entire community and its citizens.
4. Our downtown represents a significant portion of our community's tax base. If this district declines, its property will decrease in value. This increases the tax burden on other parts of our community.
5. The central business district is an indispensable shopping and service center in our community. Though it may not hold the place as our community's most dominant shopping center, it still includes unique shopping and service opportunities.
6. Our downtown is the historic core of our community. Many of the buildings are historically significant. They should be preserved to help highlight our community's history.
7. Downtown represents a vast amount of public and private investment. Imagine paying to recreate all the public infrastructure and real estate in a central business district. Imagine the waste of past dollars spent if the downtown is neglected.
8. A central business district is often a major tourist draw. When people travel, they want to see unique places. . .there isn't another downtown like ours in the world!
9. Downtown is usually a government center. It is where our city hall, and post office are located. This "one stop" shopping for government services is a notable feature of downtowns across the state.
10. And, perhaps most important, our downtown provides a sense of community and place. As Carole Rifkind, author of Main Street: The Face of Urban America wrote,
". . .as Main Street, it was uniquely America, a powerful symbol of shared experience, of common memory, of the challenge and the struggle of building a civilization. . .Main Street was always familiar, always recognizable as the heart and soul of village, town or city." In the end, this is why we revitalize our downtowns.