The Boston Main Streets Program is a $4.2 million public-private initiative of the City of Boston and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to bring the Main Street strategy for commercial district revitalization to Boston's many neighborhood business districts.

Background

The Main Street approach is a comprehensive approach to providing merchant groups and community residents with the tools and information necessary for their historic community center to compete in todays marketplace. Its four key elements: design, community organization, promotion, and economic restructuring -- help neighborhood Main Street organizations capitalize on their unique historical, cultural and architectural assets while also addressing the many economic development of needs around small business retention and developmental recruitment in light of strong competition from shopping malls and discount retailers.

In 1983, then City Councilor Thomas M. Menino successfully sought the assistance of the National Main Street Center for the revitalization of Roslindale Village in Boston. Within its first three years, the Roslindale Village Main Street Program achieved astounding results: 33 facade changes, 43 commercial building rehabilitations; 29 net new businesses; 132 net job gains, totalling $5,141,200 in new investment. In 1995, as Mayor of Boston, Menino challenged the National Main Street Center to bring its enormous reservoir of experience to the entire City of Boston, resulting in the Boston Main Streets program. Over the next two years, Boston Main Streets will bring technical knowledge and start-up funding to more than 20 commercial districts within Boston, while aiming to mold the Main Street model to a slate of uniquely urban issues.

PRoslindale Village Main Streetsarticipating Commercial Districts

In May of 1995, the programs first ten communities were selected in a citywide competition: Cleary Square in Hyde Park, Codman Square in Dorchester, Maverick Square in East Boston; Broadway in South Boston, Chinatown, Allston Village, Egleston Square in Jamaica Plain, Uphams Corner in Dorchester, Bowdoin Street/Geneva Avenue in Dorchester, and Dudley Square in Roxbury. In the fall of 1997, the city designated four additional Main Street districts.

Program Services

To achieve the elements of successful Main Streets, the City of Boston will provide the following services over the next four years for each designated Main Street district:

  • Matching funds to support the cost of hiring an executive director;
  • Linking up each district with a Corporate Buddy for financial and technical services;
  • Technical assistance in organizational development strategic planning and market development from both the National Main Street Center and the City.
  • $100,000 in matching funds toward improvements to private or public property;
  • $2,000 in 1:1 matching funds annually to support promotional events in the district;

Each Main Street organization will in turn be expected to provide from local sources:

  • Matching funds for the organization's director and for promotional events;
  • Office space in the district -- either donated or paid for with funds raised locally;
  • Materials and services for operation of the organization and for promotional events.

Small Business Technical Assistance: In addition, individual businesses both inside and outside the Main Street Districts will be able to access one-on-one technical assistance through the City of Boston from a pool of contracted technical assistance providers, and property owners/developer will be able to use the Commercial Development Finance program for development and rehabilitation of neighborhood commercial space.

Design Services: Main Street organizations and individual businesses will be able to seek design consultation and other advisory services from the city's program architect.

Corporate Buddy Program
The Boston Main Streets Program includes a partnership component which identifies a large business or corporation to team up with each one of the districts. Founding Buddies are: Citizens Bank, PNC Bank New England, Boston Edison, Shawmut Bank, The Boston Company, Fleet Bank, Star Market, BayBank, Bank of Boston, LISC, and the Massachusetts Port Authority. "Corporate Buddies" provide two key elements to their local Main Street organizations as well as participation in the city-wide service council.

  • Boston Main Streets Home Page
  • City of Boston. The City of Boston's site provides news, events and contact information for city departments.
  • The Boston Preservation Alliance. The BPA believes that Boston's distinct architectural heritage is a national treasure which contributes greatly to the economy of the city and the quality of life for its residents and visitors. With more than 50 organizations and hundreds of individuals as members, the Alliance provides a respected voice for preservation in the city of Boston.
  • Center for Neighborhood Technology. This nationally known organization based in Chicago, IL promotes public policies, new resources and accountable authority which support sustainable, just and vital urban communities.
  • Council for Urban Economic Development. Since 1967, CUED has grown over 30 years to become a wide ranging organization offering a variety of services to economic development practitioners and to other allied organizations as well.
  • Downtown Research and Development Center. An independednt source of news and information for downtown development and revitalization. The center publishes the Downtown Promotion Reporter and Downtown Idea Exchange.
  • International Downtown Association. The International Downtown Association seeks to be the principal advocate for North America's urban and community centers; coalescing public, business and non-profit interests into civic partnerships that affirm the diversity of these centers, and creating livable communities.
  • The National Main Street Center. Part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It created the Main Street Approach to downtown revitalization, and promotes the use of the approach to communities to revitalize their traditional commercial areas. It serves as the nation's clearinghouse for information, technical assistance, research and advocacy on preservation-based commercial district revitalization.