Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Date: March 8, 2007

Contact:            Susan Kempf, Washington State Main Street Program, 360.725.4056

                        Timothy Bishop, Ellensburg Downtown Association, 509.962.6246

Kris Rietmann, Communications Director, 360.725.4019

ELLENSBURG SELECTED AS A MAIN STREET™ COMMUNITY

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) announces that the Ellensburg Downtown Association has been selected to receive specialized assistance at the Main Street™ designation level of the Downtown Revitalization Tier System Network, which provides different levels of assistance based on an organization’s level of commitment and readiness. 

The Ellensburg community will join eight other Main Street™ communities including Auburn, Bainbridge Island, Kennewick, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Puyallup, Walla Walla, and Wenatchee.

Communities selected at the Main Street™ designation level receive assistance to increase the local organization’s effectiveness, build on existing design and historic elements, increase the local customer base, and retain and recruit needed businesses into downtown.  Assistance varies from community to community but generally includes work plan and committee development along with specialized training and networking opportunities.

The effort is modeled on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Approach™, which has been used in more than 1,600 cities nationwide to recapture business interest and vitality in downtown areas.  This approach emphasizes four critical areas of revitalization: organization helps everyone work towards the same goals and maximizes involvement of public and private leaders within the community; promotion brings people back downtown by helping to attract visitors, shoppers, and investors; design enhances a district’s appearance and pedestrian amenities while preserving its historic features; and economic restructuring stimulates business development and helps strengthen the district’s economic base.  

            For additional information about the Washington State Main Street Program, please visit our website at: www.downtown.wa.gov.

CTED is the state’s leading agency charged with enhancing and promoting sustainable economic vitality throughout the state.

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