Port Orford has chosen to participate in the Oregon ‘Main Street' program, a statewide initiative to revitalize commercial districts through the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department.
According to the Department's website, the underlying premise of Main Street is to encourage economic development within the context of historic preservation in ways appropriate to today's marektplace. This approach advocates a return to community self-reliance, local empowermanet, and the rebuilding of traditional districts based on their unique assets: distinctive architecture, a pedestrian-friendly environment, personal service, local ownership and a sense of community.
The Main Street program, in partnership with the National Trust Main Street Center, collaborate to provide the support necessary to assist communities in building or when necessary re-building viable commercial districts.
The program employs the four point Main Street approach developed by the National Trust for commercial district revitalization. The National Trust's proven approach combines historic preservation with economic development to restore prosperity and vitality to downtown business districts. The approach focuses on:
ORGANIZATION - Assembles public/private leaders within communities to work toward the same revitalization goals.
PROMOTION - Sells a positive brand image of the commercial district drawing visitors, shoppers, and investors downtown.
DESIGN - enhances both livability and attraction of the district by rehabilitating historic buildings, creating pedestrian-oriented streets and encouraging context-sensitive new construction.
ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING - Strengthens a community's existing assets while expanding and diversifying its economic base. Main Street sharpens the competitiveness of existing business and attracts compatible new businesses to the district.
The program provides guidance, planning, design, and technical assistance to participating organizations to help them to successfully use the approach, to identify funding sources and to secure funding for their projects.
The initial success of our pre-program revitalization efforts can be seen in the progress our Dark Skies initiative; the remodeling of the Seaside Plaza/Theater 101, the Savoy Theater, the Hard Rain Cafe, and the Crazy Norwegian restaurant; and the new Hawthorne Gallery, Sculpture Garden and Restaurant complex under construction at Battle Rock Park.
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