Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Connecticut Main Street Center

Mixed-use/Mixed-Income

Development

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Connecticut Main Street Center, a statewide nonprofit corporation, is dedicated to

economic and community development within the context of historic preservation.

CMSC is committed to bringing Connecticut’s commercial districts back to life socially and economically by providing

education and training, resources and technical assistance, and advocacy.

MISSION STATEMENT

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

History of the Decline of Downtowns

Until the 1950’s, America’s downtowns were the center of:

- commerce

- government

- culture

- entertainment

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Forces & Trends that Changed the Character of

Downtowns:• Advent of the federal highway system

after WWII• “June Cleaver went to work”• Change in shopping patterns –

downtown stores moved to the suburbs

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

The National Trust for Historic Preservation

developed the first

Pilot Main Street Program

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

The Main Street 4-Point Approach

Increases the:• Civic value – through Organization• Economic value – through

Economic Restructuring• Physical value – through Design• Social value – through Promotion

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

PartnershipsOur Key

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Main Street is Community & Economic Development within the context of Historic Preservation.

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Benefits of a Main Street Program

Supports one of your community’s largest employers and

taxpayers:

Downtown!

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

National Main Street Network - 1980National Main Street Network - 1980

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

National Main Street Network - 1985National Main Street Network - 1985

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

National Main Street Network - 1990National Main Street Network - 1990

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

National Main Street Network - 1995National Main Street Network - 1995

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

National Main Street Network - 2000National Main Street Network - 2000

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

National Main Street Network - 2005

Programs Launched To-Date: 1,877!!!

National Main Street Network - 2005

Programs Launched To Date: 1,877!!!

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Pendulum of Development is Swinging

• Downtown housing demand will increase

• Supply will not keep up with demand driving prices higher

• Affordable programs must be developed from the beginning

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Increasing Demand for Choices

• Losing young adults• 83% of National Realtors’ survey listed

“shorten commute time” as no. 1 criteria for choosing a home

• Growing population wants range of housing types and costs

• 67% of all US households do not have school-age children

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Downtown Housing• Downtown residents spend 3 to 4

times what a downtown employees spends

• Residents inject 24/7 life• Market segments vulnerable to

affordability issue are targets for downtown living – young adults, seniors, artists

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Downtown Housing

• Current senior housing is isolated forcing people to drive for every need

• Seniors living downtown are healthier from walking more

• Close proximity to jobs, goods and services reduces traffic

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Mixed-use Development• Importance of first floor retail• Residential development – retail

follows people• Bringing upper floors to life• Embodies best principles of community

& economic development, smart growth and historic preservation

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Mixed-use Development• Promotes density• Multi-modal transportation options• Developing w/existing infrastructure• Developing integrated projects• Need to put all the tools in place

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Barriers to Downtown Housing

• Mixed-use development is hard• Land assembly is difficult• Financing gap• Local property owners have no

redevelopment expertise• Density is a dirty word

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Declare your Vision -Your Intent

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

Make the Right Thing Easy• New and/or more friendly codes• Historic tax credits for mixed uses• Streamlined permitting process• TA for mom & pop property owners• Patient capital

Charting Your Course to a Vibrant Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center

www.ctmainstreet.org