The Benefits and Application Process
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Applications for Main Street designation are now available. The deadline for turning in a Letter of Intent is May 15, 2013 and the deadline for applications is July 31, 2013. New cities selected in this round officially enter the program January 1, 2014.
The Texas Historical Commission welcomes 2013 incoming communities Childress, Cuero (recertified) and San Augustine into the Texas Main Street Program. They officially entered the program January 1, 2013.
On March 28, the First Lady of Texas, Anita Perry joined THC Commissioners to visit incoming 2013 Main Street communities to welcome them into the program. View images from these special events here.
This is a long-time Main Street event, with Texas First Ladies having visited new Main Street communities each year since the 1980s. Specific sites for the 2013 celebrations, which are open to the public, will be announced here at a later date. For almost two decades, the Main Street First Lady's Tour has been sponsored by the Independent Bankers Association of Texas.
Each year, the Texas Historical Commission may select up to five Texas cities for official Main Street designation. Historic neighborhood commercial districts are also eligible to apply. There is no application fee. With this designation, communities become part of a powerful statewide and national network. Designated communities receive a range of services from the Texas Main Street Program (TMSP) staff.
There are currently 84 officially designated Main Street communities in Texas. They are communities of all sizes across the state of Texas.
Programs pay a nominal annual fee to participate and receive a continual range of services from the TMSP and additional benefits, which includes:
- A full range of design services from a professionally-trained TMSP staff that includes a licensed architect to help downtown property owners undertake effective rehabilitation, restoration and adaptive re-use projects
- Additional, as-needed technical consultation with business and property owners on a variety of topics
- Strategic planning for the downtown organization
- Individualized, on-site training for Main Street managers, boards and other Main Street participants
- Two statewide, Main Street-specific trainings annually for any volunteers or staff of participant communities
- Product development, such as design reports for specific properties, strategic planning reports to help drive the Plan of Work and other technical reports based upon the community’s individual needs
- Participation in a Main Street listserv for professional development and assistance with downtown issues
- Technical assistance on resources for funding projects and furthering economic development in the Main Street district
- Comprehensive resource reports for new programs to drive a multi-year plan of action
- Access to a Main Street-specific pool of improvement funds through the Texas Capital Fund of the Texas Department of Agriculture.
To apply, a community must agree to hire a full-time Main Street Director, adequately budget for the local program and show the following:
- Historic commercial fabric and historic identity—The historic significance of the proposed Main Street area and the interest in and commitment to historic preservation.
- Community and private sector support and organizational capacity—Demonstrates community and private sector support for the program. (The capability of the applicant to successfully implement the Main Street Program.)
- Public sector support and financial capacity—Demonstrates the public sector support and the financial capability to employ a full-time manager, fund a local Main Street Program and support downtown-related projects.
- Physical capacity—The cohesiveness, distinctiveness and variety of business activity conducted in the proposed Main Street Program area.
- Demonstrated need—The need for the Main Street Program and its expected impact on the city.
An applicant from a community of less than 50,000 in population applies as a small-city program through city government. An urban program with more than 50,000 population may choose to apply either under state government or through a stand-alone non-profit.
Applications are due the last working day of July each year. Communities selected after the July 31, 2013 deadline (announced in the fall) will officially enter the program January 1, 2014. Applications will be posted on the THC website in February. Questions about the program or application process can be directed to the TMSP State Coordinator. You may also read more about the process for designation in the Texas Administrative Code .
