The Main Street RI Initiative - What It Means for Preservation Here
- acosta727
- Mar 3
- 3 min read
The main streets of towns and cities are vital to the economic and cultural health of the United States. They connect us to our vibrant past and have been an important component of preservation work across the country. Main Street America, established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1980, has been working across the nation to preserve and promote downtowns and other neighborhood commercial districts. Clark Schoettle, a Preserve RI board member and former Executive Director of the Providence Revolving Fund, served as one of the original project managers to test the concept. He recalls, “Back in the late 1970's downtowns were competing with suburban shopping malls and they were suffering from lack of hope. To try and address the problem, the National Trust created a three-year project to demonstrate that downtowns could compete if they were organized, promoted their downtown, reused their historic buildings, and encouraged multiple uses including retail, offices, housing, and entertainment.” The test was a success, and they took that learning to roll out a national program. Since its inception, Main Street America has generated over $115 billion in reinvestment, created an estimated 800,000 jobs, and rehabilitated more than 345,000 buildings across the country. Surprisingly, Rhode Island was one of the last few states without a Main Street program. Until now.
Last year, the RI General Assembly provided $125,000 to formally establish the Main Street RI Initiative. The legislation was championed by State Senator Lori Urso, who represents Pawtucket and is also the President and CEO of the Old Slater Mill Association. Senator Urso was determined to bring this program to RI. In her 20-year career in historic preservation, she has worked on Main Street rejuvenation projects throughout the state. “I believe Rhode Island can benefit in terms of revenue from these assets, and the community enrichment they can offer to our residents and visitors.” She sees Pawtucket’s Main Street as a prime example: “It was once the commercial heartbeat of the city of Pawtucket, and I believe it has the capacity to become a corridor that supports thriving small businesses and provides a place for community connection.”
The Main Street RI Initiative is operated by Grow Smart RI. Jillian Finkle, Deputy Director of Grow Smart RI, heads up the program. “The Main Street Program is considered to be the most cost-effective form of economic development in the United States today.” The logic behind it is simple, Finkle explains, “A well-cared-for place that celebrates its unique identity will attract more customers as well as more visitors, investors, and new businesses, including larger companies that want to locate near the lively, walkable places where talent wants to live.”
The program establishes a capacity-building network to help spur new and existing Main Street initiatives across the state. It also connects Rhode Island to peer organizations across the country to learn from in creating successful walkable commercial districts. In January the Initiative launched a Learning Cohort Program. In six workshops, teams from around RI learn about Main Street America’s proven approach to revitalizing downtowns, village centers, and neighborhood business areas. Eleven communities from around the state were chosen to participate. The Initiative is also holding free monthly virtual roundtables open to the public. In the Fall, a conference will bring all the program participants together for the first time.
Preserve RI, in partnership with Grow Smart RI, continues to advocate for future funding of this common-sense approach to historic preservation and economic revitalization.
