Local Main Streets

The Florida Main Street Program is an integral part of the state's historic preservation program. The state program and the national model on which it is based are applicable only to communities with historic resources sufficient to create a well-defined sense of place, a tangible link with the past. The Main Street revitalization process is, then, one of rediscovery rather than recreation. The Program does not deal in marketing themes (other than an honest acknowledgement of a community's heritage) and does not engage in recreating or fabricating traditional commercial centers. Such recreation is not historic preservation.

Main Street cities hire a full-time downtown manager, establish a Main Street Board (with representatives from the public and private sectors), and develop a local program to bring about revitalization of the traditional commercial core.The community is responsible for raising the funding necessary to staff and administer the local program.

The Main Street Manager is the coordinator or facilitator for downtown revitalization. He or she works with the Main Street Board and with other public and private sector leaders to implement the Main Street program.

The Board plays a critical role in the local program by establishing policy, determining priorities, and assisting the Manager with implementation of activities in the areas of organization, promotion, design, and economic restructuring.