Citizens Learn About Main Street

A number of Wills Point citizens gathered at the Community Room of the chamber of commerce building to hear a presentation from Debra Farst, state coordinator of the Texas Main Street program.

The Wills Point city council recently approved making application to the state for a Main Street designation. City manager Jim Stephens has been involved with the program for 20 years, serving as a board member in Lufkin, and as director of the program in Canton for nine years.

"It’s a salvation for small towns," Stephens said. "If you keep the heart of your city healthy, the downtown area, the rest of your town will grow.

"The program becomes a networking for the community. Every organization will eventually get involved."

The networking extends to other cities, according to Farst.

In her presentation, Farst laid out a four-point description of the Main Street program: organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring. The state provides resources and expertise for each of the four areas.

At the outset of the program, a resource team from the state will come to the town for three days, and put together an action plan to begin the program. The plan includes preserving historic buildings as well as bringing viable businesses to occupy them, and assisting existing businesses. The program also provides insight into marketing the town to potential visitors. The program also provides design assistance for new construction projects to ensure consistency for the downtown area.

The services provided by the state extend beyond the initial start up, though.

"Our job is to provide continual services to the city for as long as it’s in the program," Farst said.

Before any of those things can take place, though, the city must be accepted by the program. That process includes a 21-page application that must be accompanied with a power point presentation of the downtown buildings.

The state is expected to accept four cities for the program this year, out of more that 15 applications. That decision is announced in November.

Farst also stressed that despite the resources the state can provide, the success of the program depends upon the citizens.

"Our goal is to have the program be sustainable," she said. "That means that citizens have to be involved and really care about their town. It is a volunteer driven program."

The program does require the hiring of a full time director, as well as a board of volunteers.

Farst also indicated that Wills Point was an excellent candidate for the program.

"All roads coming into Wills Point - whether it’s on (Highways) 47, or 64 or 80 - they all lead to downtown," she said. "A lot of towns you really have to look to find the downtown area. You also have wonderful buildings that have been preserved."