Main Street Iowa

Main Street Iowa
Name	Main Street Iowa
Formation	1985
Type	Nonprofit program
Headquarters	Des Moines, Iowa
Parent organization	Iowa Economic Development Authority
Area served	State of Iowa

Main Street Iowa

Main Street Iowa is a statewide revitalization program aligned with the national Main Street movement that promotes historic preservation and commercial district redevelopment in Iowa communities. It coordinates with state agencies, municipal authorities, nonprofit organizations, local chambers of commerce, and preservation bodies to advance downtown revitalization, small business development, and heritage tourism. The program operates through designated local programs, technical assistance, training, and grant support to retain architectural character and stimulate private investment.

History

The program was created in the 1980s drawing on models developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Main Street Center, influenced by initiatives in New Deal recovery thinking and urban renewal reactions from the Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Early adopters included municipalities previously involved with Economic Development Administration projects and communities that had participated in Main Street America pilot efforts. Over successive gubernatorial administrations in Iowa the program was administered by entities such as the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and later the Iowa Economic Development Authority, linking to statewide plans like the Iowa Smart Planning Principles. Major milestones included statewide workshops hosted in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and partnership memoranda with the Iowa League of Cities and the Iowa Downtown Resource Center.

Organization and Structure

Main Street Iowa functions within the organizational framework of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and interacts with municipal governments, local nonprofits, and regional development organizations such as the Northwest Iowa Planning and Development Commission, the East Central Intergovernmental Association, and the Southwest Iowa Planning Council. Local programs are governed by volunteer boards drawn from members of the Rotary International clubs, Kiwanis International chapters, downtown business associations, and historical societies affiliated with the Iowa Historical Society. Technical support is provided by certified directors trained under curricula established by the National Main Street Center and professional development offered through partnerships with the University of Iowa, the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and workforce training programs linked to the IowaWORKS system. Coordination with state-level agencies such as the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources informs streetscape, streetscaping, and public space projects.

Programs and Initiatives

Core initiatives mirror the four-point approach promulgated by the Main Street America model with emphasis on design, organization, promotion, and economic vitality in collaboration with entities like the Iowa Finance Authority and the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program. Programs include facade improvement grants similar to those funded through Community Development Block Grant allocations administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and targeted technical assistance leveraging resources from the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Training and certification workshops are often co-hosted with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and higher education partners such as the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University. Specialized initiatives have included heritage tourism promotion aligned with Iowa Destination Byways routes, workforce development linkages with Iowa Workforce Development, and disaster recovery coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency during extreme weather events.

Impact and Outcomes

Evaluations cite increased private investment, job creation, and rehabilitation of historic properties in participating communities, often measured alongside metrics used by the National Main Street Center and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Case studies frequently highlight projects in communities that received recognition from statewide award programs such as the Iowa Tourism Office awards or national accolades administered by Main Street America. Outcomes include successful adaptive reuse projects involving partners like the Iowa Economic Development Authority and financial tools such as the Historic Preservation Tax Credit (Iowa) and federal historic tax incentives. These results intersect with regional planning goals promoted by the Midwest Governors Association and have been documented in reports prepared with assistance from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis regional research initiatives.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams combine state appropriations from legislatures, programmatic grants administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, federal funding from agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and the U.S. Department of Commerce, and private philanthropic support from foundations like the Wellmark Foundation and the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. Partnerships include collaborations with municipal governments, local chambers of commerce, historic preservation commissions, economic development corporations, and nonprofit lenders including the Iowa Area Development Group and community development financial institutions that work with the Small Business Administration and Iowa Bankers Association. Fiscal oversight and grant compliance are coordinated with state auditors and reporting aligned with guidelines from the Government Accountability Office when federal funds are involved.

Criticism and Challenges

Critiques of the program echo concerns raised in assessments by entities such as the Urban Institute and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy regarding scalability, equity, and displacement effects in revitalized districts. Challenges reported by local stakeholders include limitations in sustained operating funding, coordination complexities with state agencies like the Iowa Department of Transportation over streetscape projects, and capacity constraints in smaller towns noted in analyses by the Iowa Policy Project and regional planning commissions. Debates persist involving municipal zoning boards, historic preservation commissions, and economic development authorities over incentives, tax policy, and the balance between preservation and new development.

Category:Economy of Iowa Category:Historic preservation in Iowa Category:Non-profit organizations based in Iowa