2007 National Main Streets Conference Showcases Area Projects
March 9, 2007 - Seattle and King County historic preservation professionals will showcase local downtown revitalization efforts during a national conference scheduled for March 25 through 28 in Seattle. The National Main Streets Conference, sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, draws hundreds of preservation and urban revitalization experts from across the country to discover new ways of keeping commercial districts vibrant, especially in small communities.
As a contributing sponsor, 4Culture is helping promote the conference, which includes a series of field sessions in Seattle and surrounding communities. The City of Seattle's Historic Preservation Program is coordinating tours of Pioneer Square, the Pike Place Market, Chittendon Locks and Ballard Avenue, and West Seattle. Tonie Cook, the Interim Design Review Committee Coordinator for King County Historic Preservation Program, will lead a tour of downtown North Bend.
North Bend's experience is attracting keen interest among conference participants. The small town in the Cascade Mountain foothills recently embarked on a strategy to bring out its authentic historic character. About half of the 19 buildings in the downtown historic district have been upgraded; one building, the McGrath Hotel, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. "North Bend has really done a lot of work, and they're doing it in the right way," Cook says.
The work has already paid off in economic benefits to North Bend. Cook says from 2002 to 2004, gross sales in the revitalized downtown area increased 48.2 percent. A 2006 state study of the economic impact of historic preservation also demonstrated preservation's positive economic impact. The study found that cities participating in the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development's "Main Street" program, which is modeled on the NTHP's Main Street program, generated $165 million in total sales and 2,625 jobs from 2002 to 2004. CTED is the co-host of the conference.
The National Main Streets Conference will take place at the Westin Hotel in Seattle. On Sunday, March 25, the conference will open up to the public for four sessions on the basics of commercial district revitalization. Registration is not required. For more information, visit the conference website at http://conference.mainstreet.org/.
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