About Main Street
About main street
WHAT is Main Street?
Main Street is an asset-based economic development program that uses historic preservation as a core strategy to revitalize downtowns. Owatonna Main Street is constantly working towards a safe, thriving, and innovative downtown core. Main Street focuses on four pillars of work: Organization, Design, Promotion, and Economic Revitalization.
Organization – Building consensus and cooperation among public and private groups and individuals and identifying sources of funding for long-term revitalization activities. This includes building a strong network of business and property owners, citizens, bankers, realtors, public officials and other local economic development organizations to pool resources to work together.
Design – Enhancing the district’s physical appearance through building rehabilitation, compatible new construction, public improvements, and design management systems. This includes flower baskets, banners, holiday decorations, clean up events, and more. We want to improve the overall image of Main Street to show Owatonna is a quality place to shop, work, walk, live, and invest in.
Promotion – Marketing the commercial district through events and advertising to attract customers, investors, new businesses, residents, and visitors. This includes planning events and celebrations like Downtown Thursdays and the Main Street Holiday Lighted Parade. Other things to think about with promotion – branding, vacant space promotion, advocacy efforts, collaboration on city initiatives.
Economic Vitality – Strengthening the district’s economic base and creating new opportunities through careful analysis and appropriate mixed-use development. Included i is business recruitment, business succession and exit planning, entrepreneurial support, housing, and education.
WHERE is Main Street?
Main Street is a district in the downtown area of Owatonna within these boundaries:
On the North – Front Street
On the East – Elm Avenue
On the South – Mill Street and School Street via Walnut Avenue
On the West – Railroad tracks/Straight River to Rose Street and then back up to Oak to Front
There is also a Historic District within the Main Street District, see map below with black outline for that area.
Where to Park in the Main Street District?
WHO is Main Street?
The Main Street Advisory Board is comprised of people involved in various groups and organizations throughout the community. Pictured below is our current Advisory Board.
Working on the four pillars under Main Street, we have committees who focus entirely on one pillar, and each committee has at least two board members and at least five community members. (The Advisory Board focuses on the organization pillar.)
Interested in joining a committee? Email Lisa Cochran, Main Street Director, at lcochran@owatonna.org
