The Main Street Approach

Columbia is proud to be a member of the Tennessee Main Street Program and a nationally accredited Main Street Community designated by the Main Street America program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, Inc., a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Columbia Main Street is among the first five Main Street communities in Tennessee to receive this national designation. The Main Street program is supported at the state level through TnDEC

Columbia Main Street utilizes The Main Street Approach™ which offers community-based revitalization initiatives with a practical, adaptable framework for downtown transformation that is easily tailored to local conditions.

Transformation Strategies

The Main Street Approach is centered on Transformation Strategies, which articulate a focused, deliberate path to revitalizing or strengthening a downtown or commercial district’s economy. A program’s work on Transformation Strategies should be organized in four broad areas known as the Four Points: Economic Vitality, Design, Promotion and Organization.

The Four Points

ECONOMIC VITALITY
Focuses on capital, incentives, and other economic and financial tools to assist new and existing businesses, catalyze property development, and create a supportive environment for entrepreneurs and innovators that drive local economies.

DESIGN 
supports a community’s transformation by enhancing the physical and visual assets that set the commercial district apart.

PROMOTION 
Positions the downtown or commercial district as the center of the community and hub of economic activity, while creating a positive image that showcases a community’s unique characteristics.

ORGANIZATION
Involves creating a strong foundation for a sustainable revitalization effort, including cultivating partnerships, community involvement, and resources for the district.