Oregon Main Street Adds New Designated Main Street Community To The Network -09/27/24

SALEM, Oregon – Oregon Main Street (OMS) has accepted the Tigard Downtown Alliance (TDA) at the Designated Main Street level of the OMS Network. 

The Designated Main Street level is a mark of distinction that reflects a demonstrated effort to building, growing, and sustaining a main street organization to support efforts to improve a community’s historic downtown by leveraging partnerships and engaging community members.

Communities participating at this level have a high degree of commitment to using the nationally recognized place-based Main Street Approach™ methodology to create lasting impact in enhancing their historic downtowns. 

“We are very excited to have the Tigard Downtown Alliance” move up a tier in the Oregon Main Street Network,” said Sheri Stuart, State Coordinator, Oregon Main Street. “They have been slowly and thoughtfully growing their organizational structure over the past two years and have demonstrated a deep commitment to support their downtown and develop activities to enhance its vitality.”

“Over the past ten years, we have made significant progress, and our team is prepared to continue the hard work required to grow a thriving community rooted in the Main Street Four-Point Approach, said Dr. Kevin Bates, President, Tigard Downtown Alliance. “We are deeply grateful to our executive director—Kyle Knepper, our board of directors, volunteers, and Sheri Stuart with Oregon Main Street, whose support made it possible for us to achieve Designated Status.”

Designated Main Street level communities must have a cohesive core of historic or older commercial and mixed-use buildings that represent the community’s architectural heritage and may include compatible in-fill. They must also have a sufficient mass of businesses, buildings, and density to be effective, as well as be a compact and pedestrian-oriented district.

The primary emphasis of the Designated Main Street level is to provide technical assistance to organizations to help them strengthen their revitalization efforts. Acceptance into this level allows communities to participate in training, program evaluations, technical assistance, and receive local capacity building support. There isn’t a fee to participate in the Oregon Main Street Network.

The selection process included submitting an application that describes their district, previous efforts to improve downtown, readiness to implement the Main Street Approach™, board development efforts, in addition to other criteria. 

Currently, there are 109 communities in Oregon participating in one of the four levels of the Oregon Main Street Network: Accredited Main Street, Designated Main Street, Affiliated Main Street, and Connected Communities. TDA was at the Affiliated Main Street level prior to being accepted at the Designated Main Street level. 

Oregon Main Street is part of Oregon Heritage in Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.