San Juan Bautista
– The San Juan Historical Resources Board is holding a workshop
this week for locals to learn more about the California Main Street
Alliance, an organization designed to improve a community’s quality
of life by revitalizing its downtown.
The workshop will be at 7pm Thursday at the San Juan Bautista
City Hall.
San Juan Bautista – The San Juan Historical Resources Board is holding a workshop this week for locals to learn more about the California Main Street Alliance, an organization designed to improve a community’s quality of life by revitalizing its downtown.
The workshop will be at 7pm Thursday at the San Juan Bautista City Hall.
“We’re on a fact-finding mission right now,” said Cara Vonk, chair of the Historical Resources Board. The Board is an advisory committee appointed by the city council that serves the planning commission and the council, and is in its second year. “We’re hoping we can learn enough to know if this is something San Juan could benefit from.”
The Main Street Program is a state and national effort that has been in existence for roughly 20 years – Hollister has been a Main Street City for 19 of them. Cities are selected as “Main Street Cities” after an extensive application process and an on-site evaluation.
“It really is a very cool program,” Hollister Downtown Association Executive Director Brenda Weatherly said. “It’s a way to connect with other cities who are doing the same kind of projects, so that you don’t have to worry about reinventing the wheel.”
The program does not provide funding to its participants, though involvement in the program is considered prestigious and can be beneficial when applying for grants from outside agencies. Rather, the program focuses on providing know-how and technical assistance for cities looking to turn historical downtown districts into viable, aesthetic locations for shopping, entertainment and public life.
“A lot of cities have used this to help their historic districts compete with modern malls and big-box retailers,” Vonk said.
The Historical Resources Board has invited Emily Low, Main Street Coordinator for the City of Fairfield, Calif., to talk to San Juan residents and business owners about the benefits of becoming a Main Street City and share her own experiences with the program.
“I know a lot of downtown business owners are really excited about this,” said Denise Cauthen-Wright, Executive Director of the SJB Chamber of Commerce. “I think this is a great first step for San Juan and I think it’s worth learning more about.”
For information about the California Main Street Program, visit ohp.parks.ca.gov/
default.asp?page_id=23484
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
