ACCREDITATION
Main Street Four Point Approach™
In 2003, the National Main Street Center awarded the Forest City Main Street program with an accredited Main Street Program status.
The Main Street Approach™ offers community-based revitalization initiatives with a practical, adaptable framework for downtown transformation that is easily tailored to local conditions. The Main Street Approach is centered on Transformation Strategies. A Transformation Strategy articulates a focused, deliberate path to revitalizing or strengthening a downtown or commercial district’s economy. A program’s work on Transformation Strategies should be organized around the Four Points: Economic Vitality, Design, Promotion, and Organization.
ECONOMIC VITALITY focuses on capital, incentives, and other economic and financial tools to assist new and existing businesses, catalyze property development, and create a supportive environment for entrepreneurs and innovators that drive local economies.
DESIGN supports a community’s transformation by enhancing the physical and visual assets that set the commercial district apart.
PROMOTION positions the downtown or commercial district as the center of the community and hub of economic activity, while creating a positive image that showcases a community’s unique characteristics.
ORGANIZATION involves creating a strong foundation for a sustainable revitalization effort, including cultivating partnerships, community involvement, and resources for the district.
As a Main Street America™ Affiliate, the Town of Forest City is part of a national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities that share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.
The Town of Forest City is a North Carolina Main Street Community, designated by the NC Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning Center. The Town of Forest City is charged with administering the program at the local level and building public-private partnerships to spur economic development that achieves measurable results such as investment, business development, and job creation.