News

BY KRISTINA GAWRGY

The Old Takoma Business Association and the city of Takoma Park have planned to apply to the popular Main Street Program in both Maryland and the District of Columbia. Through the programs, the area will receive assistance and gather volunteers to make the community vibrant, and the business district more economically efficient.

The Main Street program is a comprehensive downtown revitalization program with a goal to enhance the economic potential of main streets across the United States. The program, which has been successfully implemented in many "main streets" all over the country, is believed to bring liveliness and a sparkle to Old Takoma.

OTBA is working with the Takoma Park City Council to make sure they get the support and information needed to fill out the applications. The application process is competitive and will require support from the community as a whole. The area that the program will focus on will run from Ford Street through Old Takoma to Takoma Junction.

Old Takoma is a "little venue away from the heart of Washington, DC while still maintaining that urban feel and vitality of a city," said Pennye Jones-Napier, managing director of Triratna, a web design and IT development business in Takoma Park.

Jones-Napier called the program "a vehicle or strategy to help us move forward." She hopes that with this program the main streets of Takoma Park can become "symbols of community, economic health, and local quality of life and pride."

The program focuses on a four-point approach to downtown revitalization that includes organization, promotion, design, and economic restructuring. The program will require many volunteers and the support of various businesses and organizations.

John McGaw, coordinator for commercial revitalization for District of Columbia Mayor Anthony A. Williams, spoke to business owners and residents on February 18 in the Takoma Park City Hall. The Main Street Program in the District falls under the blanket of the reSTORE DC initiative.

Currently, the initiative works with "fifteen or so neighborhoods around the District of Columbia, with community-based, volunteer-driven initiatives to help a wide group of stakeholders: commercial property owners, retailers, institutional stakeholders, and residents," McGaw said.

If Takoma Park is accepted into the Main Street Program in the District, a board of directors and a pro-manager or a paid CEO will be hired to run the offices. Each office will run under the headings of the four-point approach. The rest of the staff will be volunteers, which are absolutely essential for the success of the program.

McGaw described an optimal city for this program as having a "cohesive working group with some capacity," and also one that focused on three main strategies; retention, expansion, and attraction. Coalitions or partnerships with historical preservation societies, civic associations, and business associations are also important for the success of the program, he said.

OTBA is working closely to make sure this project becomes a reality. Sara A. Daines, OTBA’s economic and community development director, emphasized the importance of the community’s support behind this project.

"Whether you’re a resident, property owner, or a business, your support counts," Daines said.

The District application, due in June, will be submitted to a review panel, which will make recommendations to the Mayor Williams in July. The mayor will announce the accepted applicants after Labor Day. The Maryland application is due in March.

The intersection at 14th and U streets was the first area in the district to have this Main Street Program implemented. The t-shaped area was a great success with the number of volunteers.

"Ultimately your downtown is for you and by you," said McGaw.

The first Main Street Program was initiated in 1975 and continues to be one of the longest running programs today. The program started in the Chicago area, but continues to be nationally recognized and implemented all across the country.

Specialists and technical assistants will be brought in to help out with this large project. The Takoma Park officials have already allocated up $25,000 in matching funds to help OTBA with the hiring of coordinators and other staff.

Attendants of the meeting on this program were asked to fill out letters to OTBA, indicating their support of the decision to apply to both programs. All residents and business owners are encouraged to visit the OTBA web page (www.takomaonline.com/totba.htm) and find out more about how to help.