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Colorado Main Street Program

Overview of Colorado Main Street

The Main Street Approach

Main Street Communities

Program Background

Staff Contacts

Overview of Colorado Main Street

The Colorado Main Street^® Program is a program to revitalize traditional downtown districts within the context of historic preservation. The program uses an approach that advocates a return to community self-reliance, local empowerment, and the rebuilding of central business districts based on their traditional assets of unique architecture, personal service, local ownership, and a sense of community.

Main Street Rifle

The Colorado Main Street Program is design to assist communities revitalizing their traditional downtown or neighborhood commercial districts. The Main Street Program works throughout Colorado to help local governments and downtown organizations create an economically diverse business environment while preserving local character and historic resources.

The Colorado Main Street^® Program provides resources, training and technical services in the four areas of the Main Street Approach^®(economic restructuring, design, organization, and promotion) to competitively selected communities that are working in historically relevant business district settings and that meet certain threshold criteria. Main Street's Eight Guiding Principles provide a comprehensive approach to district and downtown revitalization.

The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) manages the Colorado Main Street^® Program, which is funded by a grant from the State Historical Fund. The Department of Local Affairs requires all candidates to submit a Letter of Intent to apply. The DOLA Main Street Advisory Board will review all letters of intent. DOLA is happy to work with communities interested in preparing for Main Street candidacy to ensure a strong letter of intent is completed.

What is the Main Street^® Approach?

Main Street's Eight Guiding Principles

Main Street Four Point Approach^®

National Main Street Center

Participating Communities

Colorado Main Street Communities, Jan. 2013

Berthoud (since 2003)	970.532.5199
Brush (since 2001)	970.842.2666
Granby (since 2008)	970.887.2858
Lake City (since 2005)	970.944.DIRT(3478)
Lamar (since 2009)	719.336.4376
Steamboat Springs (since 2006)	970.879.4555

Map Showing Colorado Main Street Communities and Candidates

Colorado Main Street Candidates, Jan. 2013

Lyons (since 2010)	303.823.5215
Rifle (since 2009)	970.625.6265
Montrose (since 2012)	970.901.9667
Fruita (since 2012)	970.858.0786
Silver Cliff and Westcliffe (since 2012)	719.783.2282
Victor (since 2012)	719.648.0033
Ridgway (since 2012)	970.626.5308

Program Background

National Main Street History

Concerned about continuing threats to Main Streets' commerical architecture and aware of the need to stimulate economic activity in small-city downtowns, the National Trust for Historic Preservation launched a community demonstration project (1977-1980) that resulted in the creation of the Main Street Four Point Approach^TM and establishment of the National Main Street Center in Wahington, D.C.

Nationally, the Main Street Program has proven to be incredibly successful, making it one of the most powerful economic development tools in the nation. Today, the Main Street approach has been implemented in 44 states and more than 1,600 communities.

Colorado Main Street History

Colorado was selected by the National Main Street Center for a state pilot Main Street project that ran from 1982-1985. Delta, Durango, Grand Junction, Manitou Springs, and Sterling were Colorado's Main Street communities in the initial program. The Colorado Department of Local Affairs administered this three-year pilot program. Although the Main Street approach to downtown revitalization proved very successful in Colorado, the state discontinued the program after completing the three-year pilot project. Between 2000 and 2010, Downtown Colorado Inc. administered the Colorado Main Street program with a grant from the State Historical Fund of History Colorado.

Because of the emphasis on historic preservation and the impact the program has had in revitalizing Colorado's downtowns, the State Historical Fund continues to generously support the Colorado Main Street Program through funding high-quality architectural technical assistance. In 2011, the administration of the program reverted back to the Department of Local Affairs with a grant from the State Historical Fund. Training and educational services are being provided to Main Street Communities in part by Downtown Colorado Inc.