On the Local Level
Main Street Cleveland is committed to improving all aspects of the downtown or central business district area, producing both tangible and intangible benefits. Improving economic management, strengthening public participation, and making downtown a fun place to visit are as critical to MainStreet Cleveland’s future as recruiting new businesses, rehabilitating buildings, and expanding parking. Building on downtown’s inherent assets: rich architecture, personal service, and traditional values and most of all, a sense of place.

MainStreet Cleveland has adopted a strategy that is tailored to local needs and opportunities, in four broad areas:

Promotion & Events: Marketing the traditional commercial district’s assets to customers, potential investors, new businesses, local citizens and visitors. Providing family oriented events that bring people downtown like the Cruise In, Halloween Block Party, Christmas parade and Carols in the City.

Design: Getting Main Street into top physical shape. Capitalizing on its best assets – such as historic buildings and traditional pedestrian-oriented layouts – is just part of the story. An inviting atmosphere, created through window displays, parking areas, building improvements, street furniture, signs, sidewalks, street lights and landscaping, conveys a visual message about what the commercial district is and what it has to offer.

Economic Vitality: Enhancing the physical appearance of the commercial district by rehabilitating historic buildings, encouraging supportive new construction, developing sensitive design management systems, and long-term planning. We strive to strengthen the district’s existing economic base while finding ways to expand it to meet new opportunities — and challenges from outlying development.

Organization: Using a volunteer-driven program with an organizational structure of a governing board and committees can ease the challenging work of building consensus and cooperation among the many groups and individuals who have a role in the revitalization process.