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Georgetown’s Main Street Program celebrates 25 years of success

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Written by Shannon Colletti Friday, 07 December 2007

How preserving a historic downtown can positively affect a city’s future

Almost three years ago, Bev and Don Adam, owners of Sweet Serendipity, purchased a historic building downtown on the square. They had decided it was time their thriving candy business had a storefront. But the previously vacant, 111-year-old building needed work — a lot of work.

In 1982, the Mileham Building, located on Austin Avenue in the square, had fallen into a state of disrepair (left). When Bev and Donald Adam bought the building in 2005, they used funds from Georgetown's Main Street Program to do major renovations.

The couple took advantage of Georgetown’s Main Street Program. Bev approached the program’s manager, went over her options with the appropriate city groups and experts and applied for Main Street funding.

As a result, the couple received more than $7,000 in matching funds to do the necessary renovations, such as roof repairs, window and trim replacement, adding signage and painting, on their newly acquired building.

“It’s a wonderful program to help revitalize the downtown area,” she said. “It’s expensive to do a renovation, so if you can get funds from some place to assist you, it’s less out-of-pocket expense.”

Bev believes in the program so much that she is now serving a second term on the Main Street Advisory Board.

This year, Georgetown celebrated its 25th anniversary of becoming a Main Street City and more than a quarter century of active downtown revitalization.

“Georgetown is a model [Main Street] community,” said Debra Farst, coordinator for the Texas Main Street Program, a part of the Texas Historical Commission. “They’ve done a really good job maintaining what they’ve got and enhancing it over time.”

What Main Street does

Certified by the Texas Main Street Program, Georgetown’s Main Street Program adheres to the policies of the state agency, which is under the auspice of the National Main Street Institute run by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Becoming a member means undergoing an intensive application process, said Shelly Hargrove, Georgetown’s Main Street Program manager, adding that each year, no more than five cities are admitted into the state program. City officials determine if they will renew their contract with the state agency on an annual basis.

The purpose of the Texas Main Street Program, Hargrove said, is to promote historic preservation and economic revitalization in communities. The program assists commercial (not residential) property owners in downtown districts. Property does not have to be designated as historic to qualify for Main Street help, but historic buildings are generally the ones who need help the most, Hargrove said.

The program functions on a four-point approach — organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring — all within the context of historic preservation. Established in 1981, the program has assisted 90 communities throughout the state.

As a member city, downtown building and business owners can reap benefits, such as onsite evaluations by an historic preservation architect and consultations about visual merchandising and window display.

When downtown business owners such as Bev Adam want to change or improve the look of their businesses — for example, by painting, modifying awnings or adding lighting — they can get assistance from Main Street.

Strict historic preservation principles and design guidelines must be followed, however. Georgetown’s Historic & Architectural Review Commission and the Main Street Advisory Board advise both the city council and business owners as to what they deem appropriate, as laid out in the city’s design and development guidelines.

Another integral benefit of Main Street is that business owners can receive financial assistance for improvements they decide to do. Since 1998, business owners can apply for a façade reimbursement grant and potentially have up to $10,000 reimbursed by Main Street. In Fiscal Year 2006/07, Main Street granted this type of incentive to seven businesses totaling nearly $23,500.

Source: www.thc.state.tx.us

Funding for Main Street comes primarily from the city. For the current fiscal year, the program received more than $137,000 of city funds. Additional funding will come from fund-raisers, such as Main Street’s annual Red Poppy Festival, and donations.

“One of the misconceptions people have about the Main Street Program is that all the money is free, from some grant or the federal government,” Hargrove said. “But it’s really a grassroots type of program. If the locals don’t grasp it and run with it, it won’t work. But for Georgetown, it was a perfect fit.”

Hargrove also mentioned the need for a city to stick with the program long-term in order to see the benefits.

“I think when some people get into the Main Street Program, they think it’s going to save everything and it’s going to happen overnight,” she said. “It just doesn’t. Your downtown didn’t go downhill overnight, and it’s not going to come back overnight.”

Georgetown’s Main Street Program can be utilized anywhere within the city’s Downtown Overlay District, which covers more than 40 blocks, including the town square.

Main Street Program success

In 1981, the need for revitalization in downtown Georgetown had become apparent. Buildings had been poorly altered in an effort to modernize or abandoned altogether. Independently owned businesses struggled against competition from new shopping centers like Austin’s Highland Mall.

“When the [Main Street] program began, the buildings were in a universal state of disrepair and downtown was pretty stagnant as far as new businesses coming in,” said Linda McCalla, Georgetown’s first Main Street Program manager. “The community just embraced the concept in a big way.”

The total public investment in downtown building, streetscape and renovation projects has reached $120.9 million since 1982.

Georgetown has received much recognition for downtown revitalization excellence. In 1997, it became the first Texas city to be named a Great American Main Street City, the highest honor bestowed by the National Trust.

An individual was recognized when Renee Hanson, the city’s first planner and a strong proponent of downtown historic preservation, received the 2003 Hero of Main Street Award.

Downtown merchants who have recently receved funding from teh Main Street program

Historic preservation and economic development

In addition to the pride many Georgetown residents feel toward the charming beauty of their downtown, historic preservation has another significant effect, said Tom Yantis, assistant city manager. Many reports and studies have proven that it has a positive economic impact on the community.

He said the downtown area, especially the square, has been pivotal in bringing new businesses, such as Tasus Texas Corporation and the Citicorp data center, to town.

“I would say of all the major deals we’ve landed, one of the key decision makers for those companies has been their experience on the square,” Yantis said. “They’ve said there’s just a feeling about being there that is welcoming and makes them feel like this is the place they want to bring their business. You can’t ask for much more than that for an economic development tool in your toolbox to have.”

Yantis credited Main Street for being a forerunner in making downtown Georgetown so appealing.

“[The Main Street Program] has led to the rehabilitation of the single most important asset the city has, which is its town square,” he said. “The next phase is making sure we have all those buildings occupied with the right mix of businesses.”