The late 20th-century economic decline witnessed by many of Kentucky's central business districts threatened the many architecturally and historically significant buildings in these downtowns.
Because of the importance of preserving not only the buildings but also the economic vitality of a community's downtown, the Kentucky Heritage Council developed the Kentucky Main Street Program to assist communities with revitalization efforts.
The Kentucky Main Street Program is a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program and is based on a Four-Point Approach developed by Main Street America's National Main Street Center, a division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The four components of the program are Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Vitality.
The goal of this program is to encourage downtown revitalization and economic development within the context of historic preservation. As a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program, Kentucky Main Street helps to lead a powerful, grassroots network consisting of over 40 Coordinating Programs and over 1,200 neighborhoods and communities across the country committed to creating high-quality places and building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Since 1979, the Kentucky Main Street Program has been a successful addition toward reversing the economic decline in Kentucky's downtowns, both small and large. Participation in this program requires local commitment and financial support.
A Main Street director administers the program locally through a volunteer board. The Heritage Council provides technical and design assistance, on-site visits, a resource center, national consultants, and grant funding. While many cities have seen immediate improvements, the program establishes an effective organization that will continue to monitor and guide revitalization efforts. It is primarily a self-help program, locally administered and funded, with technical assistance and guidance provided by the Heritage Council. The efforts center on certain aspects of downtown revitalization. A public-private partnership is developed that uses a comprehensive approach, relies on quality, involves changing attitudes, focuses on existing assets, and is both incremental in nature while being implementation-oriented. There are many reasons for revitalizing a downtown, but once the process has begun communities note positive changes such as:
