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City of Lebanon, KY
Lebanon/Marion County Chamber of Commerce
The economic decline witnessed by many of Kentucky's central business districts over the past thirty years, threatened the many architecturally and historically significant buildings in these downtowns. Based on the need to preserve not only the buildings, but also the economic vitality of a
communities' downtown, the Kentucky Heritage Council developed the Kentucky Main Street Program to assist communities with revitalization efforts.
The Kentucky Main Street Program is based on a four-point approach developed by the National Main Street Center , a division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The four components of the program are: Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Restructuring. The goal of this program is to encourage downtown revitalization and economic development within the context of historic preservation.
Since 1979, this program has been a successful addition toward reversing the economic decline in Kentucky's downtowns, both small and large. Participation in this program requires local commitment and financial support. A Main Street Manager administers the program locally through a volunteer board. The Heritage Council provides technical and design assistance, on-site visits, a resource center, national consultants and grant funding. While many cities have seen immediate improvements, the program establishes an effective organization that will continue to monitor and guide revitalization efforts. It is primarily a self-help program, locally administered and funded, with technical assistance and guidance provided by the Heritage Council. The efforts center on certain aspects of downtown revitalization. A public - private partnership is developed which uses a comprehensive approach, relies on quality, involves changing attitudes, focuses on existing assets, and is both incremental in nature while being implementation oriented.
In regard to the previous content, we would like to give special thanks to:
