Main Street

Bob Zeigler Main Street Manager Stacy Edwards Main Street Staff

The city of Livingston has been selected by the Texas Historical Commission
to receive the official designation of the Texas Main Street City, 2005.

Before and after photos of Out to Lunch Café

Highlights:

• Main Street sponsored the 2006 May Day Artwalk in Anniversary Park.
   

• Livingston’s Annual July 4th Celebration, Kid Fun Fest and Red, White and Blue Parade were held in Anniversary Park in downtown Livingston.
   

• In an effort to share the objectives and purpose of the Main Street program with local community leaders, the City hosted a “Community of Choices” workshop at the Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce demonstrating the importance of developing vision and planning to allow blending of future growth with historical preservation.
   

• Main Street initiated a quarterly mixer as an opportunity for the owners of downtown businesses to learn about the Main Street program, events and activities going on downtown. The mixers provided a chance for business owners in the Main Street District to get acquainted with their neighbors in a relaxing atmosphere.
   

• Main Street initiated “Noon Tunes,” a weekly concert at the Courthouse Gazebo, held from noon to 1 p.m. on each Friday during October.
   

• To welcome fall, Main Street sponsored a decorating contest for downtown businesses, awarding prizes for traditional, humorous and unusual depictions of scarecrows.
   

• Six businesses received architectural design assistance from the Texas Historical Commission design staff.
   

• Incentive programs were developed for facade, paint and sign grants as well as a low interest loan program. Over $17,600 was raised for grants, $12,500 of which was distributed for building renovation projects.
   

• Design Guidelines were established to assist in preserving the architectural and cultural integrity of Livingston’s historical district.
   

• Local business owners, including Out to Lunch Café, Livingston Abstract Company, Jones Property Management and Courthouse Whistlestop Café, began improvements to their property.
   

• Main Street Manager Debbie Clack began a column — “Main Street News” — in the local newspaper to publicize and educate our residents on the benefits of the program.
   

• The Pineywoods Cruisers Car Club held their monthly meeting on Mill Street in the Main Street District with antique cars on display to attract visitors downtown.
   

• Livingston Main Street sponsored a “Doing Better Business” seminar for local business owners featuring Robert Johnson, Economic Development Specialist for the Texas Main Street Program.

Main Street events include the May Day Art Walk and July 4th Celebration

  The Following is a list of services our community will receive as a Texas Main Street City:

• Program Manager Training
  Specialists in the areas of organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring will provide training and technical assistance to our Main Street managers.
  
  THC shall provide at least five training opportunities.  As an Official Main Street City, we will send our Main Street manager to at least two of these training sessions each year:
  
  Basic Training and Continuing Education/Development (January and February);
  Texas Historical Commission Annual Conference in the spring;
  Main Street Summer Workshop; and
  Texas Downtown Association / Main Street Annual Conference in the fall.
  Another training opportunity is the National Main Streets Conference in the spring.
   

• Resource Team Visit
  A team of consultants in such fields as architecture, urban design, economic development, marketing, and tourism will be determined and assembled to our community's needs.  The three-day evaluation provides the community with short term and long term recommendations for the revitalization of downtown.  A resource team workbook will be provided to the community.
   

• On-Site Visits
  The city of Livingston will receive on-site visits in the areas of design, board training, strategic planning, merchandising and economic development.  These visits are requested and coordinated by the Main Street manager.
   

• Main Street Program Network
  The Monthly Update, the Main Street communiqué will be sent each month to all Texas Main Street cities.  In addition, the Main Street manager is subscribed to the Main Street list serve, and email network available only to official Main Street cities.
   

• Reporting
  As an official Main Street City, the Main Street manager of the city of Livingston will submit monthly reports by the 10th of the following month.  Quarterly reinvestment figures will be submitted for the months of January, April, July and October.  A Ten Criteria survey submitted to the Texas Main Street Center will also be required by August 12, 2005.  Letters of Agreement will not be renewed without receipt of the Ten Criteria survey.
   

• Design Assistance
  The Texas Main Street building design staff will be available to assist property owners and businesses in rehabilitating storefronts and buildings, selecting signs and conducting adequate maintenance.  The building design staff can help the city with suggestions of streetscape, public improvement design, design review and design guidelines.

The Texas Main Street program is a partnership effort combining the time and expertise, both public and private, available at the local and state levels.  The State's role and commitment is to bring training and guidance to the local program in the form of services as specified above.

Main Street Advisory Board Members

1. Marilyn Sutton, City Manager, City of Livingston
    

2. Debbie Cooper, downtown property owner. Antique store and gift shop owner. Debbie has invested significant funds to restore and rehabilitate two downtown properties.
    

3. Jay Dickson, Executive Director, Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce: committed to coordination between the Chamber and Main Street on Main Street projects, Jay looks forward to the downtown area becoming a focal point for tourists.
    

4. Richard C. (Dick) Grant, Interested citizen.  Dick's background is in engineering, which will be a plus for the program.  He is a semi-retired; therefore he will have the time available.  He is a member of the Lions Club and serves on the Lakeside Village Board on special projects.
    

5. Mary Sack Dodd, downtown property owner:  a Livingston native and a proud owner of a downtown building, Mary will bring her enthusiasm, sales, marketing and fundraising experience to benefit the Main Street program.
    

6. Jim Wright, Attorney.  Jim will be essential in the formation of the Main Street Advisory Board with his expertise in the legal field.
    

7. Molly Anderson, President, Polk County Heritage Society.  Molly, as a lifelong resident of Livingston, has always been interested in keeping our history alive.  Her knowledge of the planning, research, grant writing and process necessary for restoration will be invaluable to this board.
    

8. Tony Taylor, Vice-President, First State Bank.  Tony is a commercial loan officer and with 20 plus years experience in banking, he is interested in keeping downtown commercial viable, while maintaining its Hometown atmosphere.
    

9. Dee Dee West, Officer, First National Bank.  Recommended by John Slocomb to represent FNB, Chamber ambassador, LISD mentor, Habitat for Humanity resource committee member.  Dee Dee is active in community affairs and is excited to be a part of this team.

SUGGESTED GOALS FOR DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION

First Year

• Form a Main Street Advisory Committee.

• Organize the downtown revitalization network.

• Organize (or reorganize) a downtown association.

• Promote the downtown revitalization program and downtown area.

• Complete a comprehensive downtown survey.

• Initiate building improvements.

• Study the downtown parking and traffic situation.

• Contract for a market analysis and shopper survey.

Second Year

• Strengthen organization throughout the downtown.

• Continue promoting downtown.

• Increase building improvements.

• Organize a retail recruitment team and develop a recruitment plan.

• Initiate solutions to downtown parking and traffic problems.

Third Year

• Begin the process of transferring sponsorship of the program from the public sector to the private sector.

• Keep downtown organization strong.

• Continue promoting downtown.

• Continue building improvements.

• Explore the possibility of public improvement projects such as sidewalks, lighting, and landscaping.

• Increase retail recruitment activities.

• Initiate a tourist development program

Main Street is a step-by-step process that brings about gradual improvement throughout the downtown.  Just as downtown did not decline overnight, it is unrealistic to expect downtown to be revitalized all at once.  City after city has proven that the step-by-step process works.