Happy New Year from Missouri Main Street Connection

DLSMS is a Missouri Main Street and Nationally Accredited community and was among only five communities chosen for the 2010 GAMSA (Great American Main Street Award).

Upcoming Events for 2015

Missouri Main Street Showcase

January 26

Jefferson City, MO

6 pm to 7:30 pm

Revel Catering & Events

102 E High Street

"Showcasing the Power of Main Street"

Preservation Day at the Capitol

February 11

Jefferson City, MO

10 am to 2 pm

Capitol Building

Activities will center around visiting with legislators and discussing the great accomplishments of Missouri's Historic Preservation Tax Credit and its tremendous effects on local economies and the quality of life in our communities statewide.

To make a reservation, contact Missouri Preservation.

MMSC Managers' Meeting & Quarterly Training

February 18

Lee's Summit, MO

More information will be available soon.

MMSC Quarterly Training - Downtown Revitalization Workshop

February 19

Lee's Summit, MO

9 am to 4 pm

"Demystifying Action Plans and Sharing Best Practices from Main Streets Across the State and Country"

National Main Streets Conference

March 30 - April 2

Atlanta, GA

"TEAM Across Main Street"

Visit the National Main Street Center website for conference details.

Our Partners in Revitalization

Missouri

Main Street Connection

is on Facebook!

Visit our Website

Our Mission

The Mission of the Missouri Main Street Connection is to provide communities with the knowledge and tools to economically and physically revitalize their downtowns.

MMSC works to ensure that the downtown districts in Missouri's cities and towns remain essential elements to their sense of community, their cultural heritage and to the state's economy. Downtown revitalization is encouraged through economic development within the context of historic preservation. The primary purpose is to ensure the long-term success of the downtown by creating, educating, training and empowering a comprehensive, professional, volunteer-based downtown revitalization organization.

Missouri Main Street Showcase

You're invited to attend the Missouri Main Street Showcase in Jefferson City on Monday, January 26, 2015.

Help us celebrate the achievements of our Missouri Main Street Communities. Join us in educating our legislators on the importance of downtown revitalization issues and showcase the great progress happening in your community.

A light fare reception will be held at Revel Catering and Events in downtown Jefferson City beginning at 6 pm. Mark your calendars for January 26 now!

RSVP by January 24 to info@momainstreet.org or by phone at 417-334-3014.

Registration is Open for TEAM Main Street

Teamwork and Entrepreneurship Across Main Street is the theme for the 2015 National Main Streets Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

The conference, held March 30 through April 2, 2015, will be focused on bringing partners together to foster new ideas for building economic, financial, and business development successes on Main Street.

A preliminary itinerary can be found at the National Main Street Center website. Online registration is now open. Early bird prices expire January 30, 2015.

Putting the Action into Work Plans

The New Year brings new ideas and one of those ideas is updating the thinking about the Main Street work plans. The work plan has been the backbone of "getting stuff done" on Main Street with a plan of action for the entire organization, from the volunteers all the way up to the board of directors. The work plan keeps the momentum going, keeps these wonderful ideas on track and provides that road map for success.

Many organizations struggle with work plan development and/or implementation. Any great Main Street organization creates an ample supply of good ideas, mostly from volunteers and the community.

But how to do you evaluate those ideas?

How do you decide what to do and what not to do? How do you take those good ideas and put them into action?

This whole process is what makes work planning a success of Main Street - evaluating, planning and putting these ideas into action. Main Street has always been a "get in there and do stuff" organization with the work plan providing that much needed structure and catalyst.

The Missouri Main Street Quarterly Workshop on February 19th in Lee's Summit will go in-depth into this process by sharing the principles of planning and then by sharing some best practices from successful Main Streets in Missouri and across the country. We will share the timeline for annual planning and budgeting along with how to deal with a last minute project using a work plan. Make plans to join us in Lee's Summit...registration will be open soon!

by Keith Winge, Community Development Coordinator, MMSC

Peculiar Named 2015 Creative Community

The Missouri Arts Council has named the City of Peculiar via the Downtown Peculiar Arts & Culture District (DPACD) as the 2015 Creative Community.

Peculiar, MO

DPACD is a specially zoned district in the City of Peculiar as well as the name of the volunteer group that creates festivals, classes, special events, public art, and a cultural center to serve over 70,000 people in parts of Cass and Jackson Counties. It is currently a Missouri Main Street Affiliate community.

The 2015 Missouri Arts Awards will be presented in a ceremony in Jefferson City on February 11, 2015.

Read the press release by Brenda Conway, President of Downtown Peculiar Arts & Culture District.

Affiliate Grant Update

Missouri Main Street Connection is ringing in the New Year with a new Affiliate Grant Community - Jackson, Missouri. Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization has been awarded the two-year Affiliate Grant bringing the total number of grants awarded in 2014 to eight communities.

Downtown

Jackson, MO

Jackson is a community of 14,000 residents with the downtown district comprised of approximately 112 buildings and over 94 businesses. Jackson is the county seat with some historic and unique tourist assets including a historic train, preservation center, preserved homes and a downtown that is friendly to foot traffic.

County Courthouse

Jackson, MO

Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization has been working in downtown since 2013 and has already been involved in several successful events including Oktoberfest and a bridal event bringing residents and tourists to the community.

This month will mark the end of the Affiliate Grant program for California, Missouri, with a board strategic planning session on January 22nd. Missouri Main Street Connection will provide this session to assist the organization in setting goals and plans for 2015 and beyond. After the session, Missouri Main Street Connection will provide a final report and outline next steps in their development towards an Associate Tiered Main Street Community.

by Keith Winge, Community Development Coordinator, MMSC

First Impressions: Design Characteristics of Good Gateways for Your Downtown

One of the most frequent issues one hears from Main Street directors and downtown merchants, civic leaders and supporters is how to direct visitors into their downtown area. The challenge is 'wayfinding'. The critical first component of a thorough wayfinding system is the gateway into downtown. The gateway is the first impression, establishing a visual landmark, direction and identity.

Many Missouri Main Street communities have downtowns which are located away from major highways. While most historic business districts started along rivers, railroads and Main Streets, the growth of the interstate highway system and state highway systems have moved the main thoroughfares elsewhere. Highway bypasses were designed to alleviate traffic congestion and improve traffic flow through a community. Unfortunately, such efforts have also directed customers and visitors away from downtowns.

Directing the flow of traffic to downtowns is where a wayfinding plan and gateways are needed. Gateways are the first component of a wayfinding plan. Gateways can be in various scales, forms, materials and message. They can be a simple statue and plaza such as Der Hermannplatz in Hermann, Missouri, or the elaborate fountain of the J. C. Nichols Memorial Fountain of the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City.

While gateways come in various forms, good gateway designs have common elements which make for a successful gateway.

Der Hermannplatz

Hermann, MO

- Visibility: The gateway needs to be easily visible from the adjacent roadway. Consider traffic speed, legibility of lettering, lighting and view at night. Motorists must interpret everything from signals, regulation/commercial signage, and lots of visual clutter along a roadway. Separate the gateway from the visual clutter for easy recognition and visibility.

- Scale: Gateways should have a good scale and proportion to be visible and to have presence. Large signs often get lost in the broader landscape. Consider a clean landscape or plaza surrounding a focal point of a sign or sculpture. Der Hermannplatz in Hermann is a good example.

J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain

Kansas City, MO

- Location: The gateway should be at a transition point in the traveler's experience. The transition can be an intersection, a change in elevation, river crossing, etc., which signifies a change in the roadway and public realm around the roadway. The visual cues of the gateway tell the traveler that they have entered a new area, passing through a gateway which leads the traveler towards downtown. The J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain in Kansas City is a good example.

- Landmark: The gateway can serve as a landmark to orient visitors and should be easy to describe over the phone or in a text message.

The Hill - Italian neighborhood of

St. Louis, MO

- Identity: A gateway design should reflect the local context, history and civic identity of a downtown and community. Each community is unique and its identity should be celebrated in the gateway. The Hill columns for the Italian neighborhood of St. Louis are a good example of celebrating the local heritage and identity.

- Creativity: The design of gateway should be creative in materials, message and composition. Gateways can be beautiful, modern or historical, whimsical or simple. Emphasize a simple message with quality, durable materials.

by Russ Volmert, Arcturis, St. Louis, MO