Main Street Alabama is a nonprofit organization that strengthens Alabama's historic districts through preservation-based economic development. As Alabama's Coordinating Program for Main Street America, we provide training, technical assistance, resources, and support to communities working to create vibrant districts where businesses thrive, investment grows, and people want to live, work, and visit.

Using the nationally recognized Main Street Four-Point Approach®, we help local leaders build strong organizations, enhance their districts' appearance, promote their unique assets, and foster long-term economic vitality. Main Street Alabama empowers each community to build on its own history, culture, and local strengths to create lasting change.

Watch our podcast with Mary Means, the “Mother of Main Street,” as she explains the approach and how it began.

• Part 1
• Part 2

The Main Street Four-Point Approach® is a proven framework for district revitalization. It helps communities build on historic character, local businesses, community pride, and other unique assets through four interconnected areas:

• Organization: Builds strong partnerships, recruits volunteers, and creates the leadership structure needed to guide revitalization efforts. 
• Promotion: Markets the district through events, branding, and promotions that attract visitors, customers, businesses, and investment. 
• Design: Enhances the appearance and functionality of the district through historic preservation, façade improvements, public spaces, and quality design. 
• Economic Vitality: Strengthens the local economy by supporting existing businesses, attracting new investment, and encouraging sustainable economic growth.  

Together, these four points create a comprehensive, long-term strategy for strengthening downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

Main Street programs are locally driven, funded, organized, and managed. Main Street Alabama works with each community to determine the organizational model that best fits its needs. Local programs operate independently in their communities while remaining affiliated with Main Street Alabama and connected to a statewide and national Main Street network.

Everyone with a stake in the commercial district and its future should be involved. A healthy local economy and a historic core reflect the district's heritage and benefit residents, businesses, property owners, local government, and community partners. Public-private partnerships are especially important because broad local financial support demonstrates commitment and helps sustain the program over time.

The first step is to join the Main Street Alabama Network. This is a requirement for any district seeking to become a Designated Main Street program. To find out more about the application process, visit our website.

Main Street Alabama works with the local community to examine the commercial district's needs and opportunities and develop a long-term, incremental strategy based on the Main Street Four-Point Approach™. Main Street Alabama provides consulting services, support, training, materials, and information to help a revitalization organization grow.

You can encourage local leaders, planning agencies, economic development agencies, city government, businesses, and individuals to apply the Main Street Four-Point approach to what they are doing now. Help them to view traditional commercial buildings as an asset to your community and to see the downtown or neighborhood commercial district as an area full of opportunity to renew your community's sense of identity, history, and place. Become a Network Community

The Network is an introductory level for communities that care about their historic downtown or neighborhood commercial district and want to learn more about the Main Street Approach®. Communities at this level receive assistance from Main Street Alabama to build capacity, organize a public-private partnership, share their desire to improve the district, and start the necessary conversations.

Interested communities may apply in one of two open rounds, February or August, by completing a brief application form linked below; this is not a competitive process. There is no limit on how many years a community can be a Network Member. Have additional questions? Visit our Application Page for more information.

A Main Street Alabama Designated Community is a downtown or neighborhood commercial district that has demonstrated the leadership, organizational capacity, and long-term commitment needed to successfully implement the Main Street Approach®. Main Street Alabama awards designation through a competitive application process and reserves it for communities that meet standards for program management, community engagement, and revitalization planning.

Designated communities are also the only communities in Alabama authorized to use the trademarked Main Street name and logo, signifying their participation in a nationally recognized movement dedicated to preservation-based economic development.

Communities are required to spend a minimum of 1 year in the Network program, with continued progress on capacity-building efforts, as documented in Main Street Alabama reports, to apply for designation. After being in the Network for at least one year, communities are invited to attend Main Street Alabama’s Application Workshop. For more information, download the Designation Readiness Checklist.

Designated programs are the only communities in Alabama authorized to use the trademarked Main Street name and logo, signifying their participation in a nationally recognized movement dedicated to preservation-based economic development.

Commercial revitalization is an ongoing process. Just as retail centers have full-time staff who work constantly to ensure proper leasing, management, and marketing, downtown and neighborhood commercial districts need ongoing attention, too. To ensure continuing economic success, Main Street programs are ongoing. Main Street Alabama will help guide districts as they change and evolve. 

Network Communities

• Taking their first steps toward downtown revitalization. The focus is on capacity building at this stage.
• Through an affordable annual membership, they receive training, technical assistance, and guidance from Main Street Alabama as they build the local partnerships and organizational capacity needed for long-term success.

Designated Communities

• Spent at least a year in the Network and have gone through a competitive process including an application and on-site presentation to a selection committee.
• Have made a significantly greater investment in their district revitalization efforts. Support a local Main Street program with a paid executive director, a volunteer board, committees, and an operating budget dedicated to implementing the Main Street Four-Point Approach®. Main Street Alabama provides Designated Communities with expanded technical assistance, grant opportunities, statewide recognition, and other benefits that support a comprehensive revitalization program.

Local Main Street programs are funded primarily through local support, including contributions from city and county governments, businesses, property owners, sponsors, foundations, and individual donors. This local investment is key to a successful Main Street program because it demonstrates broad community commitment and helps ensure long-term sustainability. 

Main Street Alabama provides districts with technical assistance, professional guidance, and resources to support successful revitalization. The level of assistance varies based on whether a community participates as a Network Community or a Designated Program. Services for designated programs include on-site visits, strategic planning, organizational development, design assistance, economic development guidance, networking opportunities, and one-on-one consultation.

Main Street Alabama offers year-round educational opportunities for community leaders, board members, volunteers, and district revitalization professionals. These include statewide conferences, workshops, webinars, quarterly training calls, peer learning opportunities, and specialized training on topics such as organization, design, promotion, economic vitality, fundraising, and board development. To learn about our upcoming training courses, visit our News and Events page.