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Main Street Program
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The National Main Street Center has been in existence since 1977 under the National Trust of Historic Preservation to rebuild the country’s struggling downtown commercial areas. The Louisiana State Main Street Program was established in 1984. Plaquemine Main Street Program has been a Louisiana-designated community since 1992.
Main Street Program is part of the National Main Street Center, designed to restore the downtown area as a viable marketplace and the center of community activity. It is a program that builds on the downtown’s total image; therefore, the approach is an incremental one that utilizes a Four Point Approach™:
Design: Involves improving the downtown image by enhancing its physical appearance.
Organization: Building consensus and cooperation between groups that play roles in the downtown.
Promotion: Involves marketing the downtown’s unique characteristics to shoppers, investors, new businesses, tourists and others.
Economic Restructuring: Strengthening the existing economic base of the downtown while diversifying it. Helping existing downtown businesses expand, recruiting new businesses to provide a balanced mix, converting unused space into productive property and sharpening the competitiveness of downtown merchants
Many projects have been completed toward these goals include:
- Working with business owners to secure grants for facade improvements;
- Installing ornamental lighting and trash cans downtown;
- Renovating and opening the Plaquemine Depot Market for small businesses to sell antiques, crafts, artwork, and other items and host seasonal events;
- Installing brick sidewalk pavers along Railroad Avenue;
- Purchasing street pole banners for various seasons;
- Sponsoring several events annually to bring residents and others to the downtown Plaquemine area, such as the July 4th Festival and Main Street Festival of Christmas Lights, St. Jude Antique Car Show, to name just a few;
- Assisting downtown business owners with customer service and other training programs to help their businesses prosper; and
- Serving as lead agency for an organization of downtown business owners. This group addresses issues in the area and arranges group projects.
Funding comes through the City of Plaquemine and corporate-sponsored events. Some grants are received to further sustain and grow the program. Several annual events during the year are used to showcase the downtown district as well as to generate revenue for the program. These events are made possible through corporate sponsorships, partnerships and community volunteers.
The Main Street Program is committed to keeping a vibrant downtown where people live, work and play. This is an on-going program that is essentially the management of change over time. Main Street Program produces dramatic short-term improvements, particularly in appearance and promotions, while creating a strong organizational foundation that is critical to long-term revitalization success. Its Mission Statement is to recognize that the Plaquemine Historic District Commission and Plaquemine Main Street Program make significant contributions toward the economic and cultural growth of the City of Plaquemine. It strengthens and enhances the business and local citizen’s relationship with local government and it promotes job creation and retention. The Main Street Program focuses on the Plaquemine downtown area through communicating and developing the importance of preservation of all historic buildings. This historic image is further developed by making downtown a more vital contact to the areas overall economy.
Plaquemine Main Street District is within the the National Register Historic District as well as the City’s local historic district. The National Register Historic District encompasses approximately 21 blocks of Railroad Avenue, Main, Eden, Church, Plaquemine and Court Streets. Contributing elements range in date from circa 1840 to circa 1938 and embrace styles from Greek Revival to Modernistic. Most are historic brick commercial buildings and residences. Historic District Map pdf file
Other City-recognized Districts within the City include Garden District,Old Turnerville District and W.W. Harleaux/Captain T. Talbot Harris District.
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Meeting Schedule
Historic District Commission Meeting - Second (2nd) Monday of the month at Plaquemine City Hall, 23640 Railroad Avenue, Third Floor at 6:30 p.m. (subject to change)
Main Street Board / Organizational Committee Meeting - First Monday of the month at Iberville Welcome Center, Church Street at 9:00 a.m. (subject to change)
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