Guttenberg residents explore Main Street Iowa program

By Molly Moser

Over 35 representatives from local businesses, organizations, and members of GEIDC, Guttenberg Chamber of Commerce, Guttenberg Historic Preservation Committee and the city council gathered in the municipal building for an Introduction to Main Street meeting on Monday, Oct. 24. 

Mayor Russ Loven welcomed Jim Engle, Director of the Iowa Downtown Resource Program. Engle returns to Guttenberg after last December’s downtown assessment. The assessment visit and recommendations serve as a call to action and provide the community with current information for formulating strategies to address the serious issue of saving the downtown for future generations. While useful, this assessment was not associated with the Main Street program. 

Guttenberg could apply to be a Main Street community during an early 2017 application round. This would require an annual operating budget of at least $30,000 which is used, in part, to hire a Main Street Director, and evidence of committed funding for at least three years. Philosophical and financial support from the city government is also a necessity for application, and most governments of cities Guttenberg’s size contribute about $12,000 annually to the Main Street budget. The rest of the funding often comes from private investors, local foundations, fundraisers and events, industries and financial institutions. Some are partially funded by self-supported municipal improvement districts (SMMID), an investment property owners agree on to pay for improvements in that district. 

Nearby Elkader became a Main Street community in 1991. “I think you’ve all seen what’s happened in Elkader over the years. It’s pretty cool now, so that’s a good case study for us,” Engle said. This year, Elkader’s Art in the Park won Best New Event from Main Street Iowa. Further north and thriving is Decorah, which is not a Main Street community but uses SMMIDs to support its downtown.

“Our mission is to improve the social and economic well-being of Iowa's communities by assisting selected communities to capitalize on the unique identity, assets and character of their historic commercial district,” Engle explained. “Downtown is a symbol of economic health of the community… and is even a key element in industrial, commercial and professional development. A healthy downtown reflects a healthy community,” said Engle. A healthy downtown can act as an incubator for small businesses and a major employer, reduces sprawl, protects property values and public investment, and provides authentic experiences for residents and tourist as well as a civic forum and community space for socialization.

The National Main Street Center is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is why Main Street towns must emphasize historic preservation. Guttenberg already has  the presence of a historic commercial district, but it would also need broad based community support for downtown revitalization and an understanding of Main Street’s time-tested Four Point Approach. 

Main Street is a national program that was developed in 1980. Currently, more than 40 states and 1600 communities implement the four-point program. In Iowa, the program brings technical assistance to 52 participating communities through a board of directors, a paid executive director, and four volunteer committees that manage each of the four points:

1. Organization. This committee handles volunteer and leadership development, funding and investor development, and communication to build strong, broad-based public and private support for the commercial district and revitalization initiative.

2. Promotion. The promotion committee helps with image campaigns and branding, plan retail business selling events like ladies’ night out, President’s Day sales, etc. that generate sales on a particular day. The committee also organizes special events and festivals. “Businesses sometimes get confused that if they don’t have a lot of sales on the day of the event it wasn’t successful, but that’s not typically the goal,” said Engle. “If you can bring people to your downtown and they look in the windows or they shop while they’re there, that’s economic development.”

3. Design. This committee focuses on building improvements, historic preservation, public improvements, window displays, signage, management and education. Dealing with underutilized spaces is another of their charges. “I don’t know of a hot downtown right now that isn’t putting emphasis on housing downtown – I’m talking bout the upper floors,” said Engle, echoing findings from last year’s downtown assessment. “Having people living up there can help the building cash flow and provide another market of people eating and shopping in the downtown. 

4. Economic Vitality. Main Street communities have access to consultants and extensive data to support market analysis, business expansion and recruitment, and business retention. “We try to help communities come up with data that supports those kind of decisions – what kinds of businesses will work, what kinds of promotions you should be doing based on your market,” Engle explained.  

While Main Street doesn’t provide financial support, Main Street communities do have access to dollars unavailable to others. “Every year for the last 12 years the state program has received $1 million,” Engle told listeners. From this fund, Main Street communities can apply for up to $75,000 for a project, with about 15 funded each year. Main Street also puts on an annual competition for new or expanding businesses to earn capital.

Main Street communities are featured in a statewide marketing campaign and have access to an email list serving of all Main Street communities for discussions from finding low-interest loans to handling pigeon populations. They also receive quarterly workshops, board and committee training, scholarships to conferences, free design assistance, consultations with entrepreneurs and business owners, help with market analysis, on-site visits, and more.