Monroe is celebrating its 15th year as a Main Street community in 2020.
While there’s been a lot of work done over the past 15 years, the ground work was laid quite a bit before then. In fact, much success can be attributed to a private group that has been instrumental in many ways. The state main street came into fruition 1988, but at the start of the ‘80’s, a group of small business, professional and community leaders across the state formed the Wisconsin Downtown Action Council to address serious problems plaguing communities across the state.
It is somewhat remarkable that 1982 was nearly 40 years ago. As many of you may remember, prior to then, downtowns, while once the hub and heart of their communities were suffering. Stagnation had given way to deterioration. Commercial districts, no longer the center of commerce, were becoming common homes of vacant stores and shabby buildings. But the seemingly worst of times can give birth to multi-generational successes. The Wisconsin Downtown Action Council is a statewide organization established to facilitate the revitalization of Wisconsin downtowns as vibrant social and economic centers. They pursue their mission through a mix of strategies including developing partnerships with other organizations, information sharing, and facilitating networking, and peer learning.
This group of dedicated individuals in 1982 organized workshops and seminars, where state and national experts would advise communities on how to market, manage and revitalize their downtowns. WDAC was instrumental in spearheading legislation to create Business Improvement Districts, one important factor in Wisconsin’s success stories: today there are over 60 BIDs in Wisconsin, including in Monroe which helps fund Main Street Monroe. Business Improvement Districts were followed by the development of the Wisconsin Main Street Program in 1988. The state program, providing technical assistance to downtowns, has become one of the most successful state programs in the country. Main Street Monroe, Inc. is one of 35 state programs. These 35 communities offer an invaluable network of shared ideas and solutions to issues we are all facing; especially in 2020.
WDAC is comprised of members from across the state including those employed by AARP-Wisconsin, business improvement districts, chambers of commerce, Arts Wisconsin, municipalities and main street communities. I am proud to announce that I joined the board earlier this year. WDAC is also an avid supporter of the Smart Growth initiative. Effective and sensible community planning can lead to revitalization of downtown areas. WDAC champions downtown as a key component of smart growth; provides a toolbox for local/regional comprehensive planning and helps communities develop a quality downtown plan; educates developers on the benefits of downtown; works to identify and remove barriers to downtown development; and coordinates with other organizations to promote smart growth for downtowns.
WDAC continues to evolve, aided recently by strategic planning with UW-Extension. It continues to reach state legislatures to better connect different parts of the public sector with the private sector and grass roots efforts. Never underestimate the power of a dedicated group of individuals working across arbitrary frontiers; even when you may not be aware that they exist. That is true across organizations and community groups, and, just like it was true in 1960 and 1982, vibrant downtowns are critical to the economic sustainability and overall attractiveness of communities as places to live, work, visit and connect.
— Jordan Nordby is the executive director for Main Street Monroe. He can be reached at MonroeMainStreet@tds.net.
