UTAH MAIN STREET PROGRAM

Utah communities foster downtowns with distinctive character, thriving businesses, and welcoming spaces for residents and visitors alike.

The Utah Main Street Program (UMSP) cultivates vibrant downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts through place-based economic development and community preservation.

The Utah Main Street Program is a Coordinating Program of Main Street America. UMSP seeks to build a strategy centered around a community’s unique heritage and attributes, focusing on what’s special to make it a great place to live and visit. The program provides a framework and resources to support Utah Main Street Program Affiliates’ downtown revitalization efforts and requires the community to commit to the time-tested Main Street Four-Point Approach® to downtown revitalization developed by Main Street America™ which includes:

- Sustainable Organization
- Effective Promotion
- Quality Design
- Economic Vitality

This Approach is a unique preservation-based economic development tool that enables communities to enhance downtown and neighborhood business districts by leveraging local assets. It is a comprehensive, incremental strategy that addresses the variety of issues and problems that challenge traditional commercial districts.

As of 2023, 17 Utah Main Streets and business districts are designated as UMSP affiliate communities in Tier 2 and Tier 1 categories. Tier 1 Affiliate Programs are the 1st tier in the UMSP. These are our promising newly designated districts. Tier 2 Affiliate Programs are the 2nd tier in the Utah Main Street Program. These are vibrant Main Street districts with programs in various stages of development beyond Tier 1. Tier 3 are Accredited Main Street Programs through Main Street America.

Tier 2 Communities: Brigham City, Cedar City, Helper, Mt. Pleasant, Ogden, Price, Tooele City.

Tier 1 Communities: Castle Dale, Gunnison, Heber City, Magna, Midtown (SLC), Parowan, Payson, Richfield, Salina, and Vernal.

> Interested Communities Eligibility Form

> 2023 Tiers Checklist

> FY 22 Grant Recipients

A Movement

Main Street America™ has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for more than 35 years. Today it is a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.

Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

A Mark of Distinction

Participating programs, organizations, and communities are part of a national movement with a proven track record for celebrating community character, preserving local history, and generating impressive economic returns. Since 1980, over 2,000 communities have participated, bringing renewed energy and activity to America’s downtowns and commercial districts, securing $61 billion in new investment, creating more than 525,000 net new jobs, and rehabilitating 251,000 buildings.

A Time-Tested Strategy

The Main Street Approach includes broad-based community engagement, a holistic understanding of the factors that impact the quality of life, and a strategic focus on the core principles of downtown and neighborhood revitalization, including economic vitality, quality design, effective promotion, and sustainable organization.

The Utah Main Street Program helps communities revitalize their economy, appearance, and image of downtown commercial districts. They do this by building a strategy centered around a community’s unique heritage and attributes that make it a great place to live and visit. The program provides a framework and resources to support a community’s downtown revitalization efforts.

Read the program info sheet.

The Utah Main Street Program is about:

Revitalization — giving new life to particular areas of a community
A traditional center for community life
Home to local business
Encouraging small business growth and entrepreneurship
Encouraging positive community development by in-fill and adaptable uses
Preservation of culture and history
Placemaking

Beneficiaries

Businesses, residents, and governments benefit from the Main Street program, with increased revenues, goods, and services. Resident amenities also serve tourists. One of the greatest strengths of the Main Street program is its multi-disciplinary approach — its economic development, tourism, community development, heritage and culture, transportation and preservation, and more.

Property owners
Growth of rental income; increase in property values; safer environment
Business owners
Higher sales; safer work environment; access to business resources
District workers
Access to a broader range of goods and services; more pleasant work environment; rise in wages
Residents
Access to a broader range of goods and services; more pleasant living environment

Local government
Increased property tax revenues; stronger civic engagement
State government
Increased sales and income tax revenues; reduced burden of state support
Federal government
Increased income tax revenues; reduced burden of federal support
Social service agencies
Stronger local employment base; better range of goods and services for residents
Civic groups
Venue for holding events; partner in strengthening community

Financial institutions
Safer investments; CRA compliance; more/larger commercial deposits
Police
Reduced crime; greater neighborhood involvement in community policing
Schools
Living laboratory for civics, local history, architecture, small business development
Arts organizations
Strengthened cultural environment; venue for holding events

UMSP Background

The Utah Main Street Program initially ran in the 90s and then was piloted from 2019-2021 with Brigham City and Price. During the 2021 Legislative session, S.B 94 created the Utah Main Street Program within the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (now known as the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity).

The Governor's Office of Economic Development and the Utah Main Street Program Advisory Committee provided initial support for the program. Membership on the Advisory Committee included:

1. A representative of the Office of Economic Opportunity
2. A representative of the Utah Office of Tourism
3. A representative of the Department of Cultural & Community Engagement
4. A representative of the State Historic Preservation Office
5. A representative of the Utah Department of Transportation
6. A representative of the Housing and Community Development Division
7. Three representatives from various entities that have an interest or expertise in assisting local Main Street programs (local association of governments, private sector, etc.)

In July of 2022, the Utah Main Street Program moved to the Department of Cultural and Community Engagement, under the State Historic Preservation Office.

Utah Main Street Program Advisory Council, 2021-2022

Resources

We are pleased to provide updated information on the Utah Main Street Program (UMSP). Please read the following information carefully, as it contains details regarding the application process, required documents, and important information.

Our goal with the program is to be as flexible as possible in matching your community revitalization goals with our state & national resources. So, if your community is just beginning the revitalization process or is 25+ years into the effort, we encourage you to consider applying.

An introductory webinar to the Utah Main Street Program, available here. This session provided a brief overview of the program, including several documents, as well as a link to the Community Designation Application Portal where you can start your application to the program. A sample community resolution of support for the UMSP is attached to this email for your reference. Feel free to use this template or make your own version.

What are the steps to start the UMSP process for interested communities?

Review the attached document titled “Is the Utah Main Street Program Right for Your Community?” and the tiered structure on the 2nd page. Decide how your community would like to approach downtown revitalization and if you have a group (or could form a group) that is willing to focus on this initiative. Additionally, we recommend bookmarking the UMSP webpage for additional details and information, checking back frequently.
Download and watch the UMSP rollout webinar, available here, which provides the program overview.
As we roll the UMSP out, we will start with two steps:
Step 1 – interested communities will apply for designation as a UMSP tier 1 or tier 2 community. The Community Designation Application portal will remain open until the end of October for this first round. The UMSP Advisory Committee will then review the applications and assist in determining the community’s tier status. We will notify all applicants of their tier status within several weeks.
Step 2 will be a “Downtown Enhancement Grant” application process which will be available to designated Tier 2 communities ONLY. The goal is to open the grant portal in November.
Review the attached document titled “UMSP Community Designation Application Process,” which provides the questions and documents requested in the community application, allowing you to be able to prepare your answers and attachments ahead of entering the portal.
Start the designation application, available here.

Please note that we are developing an “FAQ” that will be posted on our webpage soon. Until then, feel free to reach out with questions you may have. We will respond as quickly as possible.

Testimonials

“Utah has deep roots in the entertainment industry, with thousands of productions filmed across the state of Utah since the 1930s. Whatever the story, it can be told in Utah’s desert lands, mountain grandeur, small towns, and urban cities. With over 84,000 square miles of diverse and cinematic landscapes, Utah’s historical buildings and landmarks are unique assets that attract filmmakers to our state for film production. Productions filmed in the state have both a creative and an economic impact by supporting small businesses creating new jobs and encouraging new visitors to see where their favorite films were shot.”

Virginia Pearce
Director
Utah Film Commission

“Brigham City has long been recognized for its wonderful Main Street. We are excited and honored that Brigham City has been chosen as a pilot community for the Utah Main Street Program. The Main Street Program has demonstrated its effectiveness throughout the United States. As a community-driven and holistic approach to downtown revitalization, and not simply a silver bullet approach, I believe that the Main Street Program will be of tremendous benefit for our beautiful town.”

Tyler M. Vincent
Mayor
Brigham City

“Utah’s Main Street program brings together so many of the state’s resources like arts and culture, preservation, and important planning tools to help communities build destinations.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Utah Main Street Program (UMSP) has been established and funded thanks to Senate Bill 194, Sen. Owens, Rep. Lund, and the Utah Legislature.

The UMSP is a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program. As a Main Street America™ coordinating program, UTAH MAIN STREET PROGRAM (UMSP) is affiliated with the National Main Street Center, which helps to lead a powerful, grassroots network consisting of over 46 coordinating programs and over 2,100 neighborhoods and communities across the country committed to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.

UTAH MAIN STREET PROGRAM (UMSP) communities are designated through a competitive application process. These communities have continued to generate real results by supporting new and existing businesses, planning and funding physical improvements, organizing events and promotions to raise the profile of their downtown district, and engaging community members in downtown revitalization.

Information reflecting the impact of the UTAH MAIN STREET PROGRAM (UMSP) Program is self-collected and shared.

The Main Street Approach™ is a unique, historic preservation-based economic development strategy that focuses on leveraging existing social, economic, physical, and cultural assets to energize community revitalization efforts and help manage success for the long term. The approach leads to tangible outcomes that benefit the entire community through encouraging communities to enact long-term change while also implementing short-term, inexpensive, and place-based activities that attract people to the commercial core and create a sense of enthusiasm about the community.

The Main Street Approach is a methodology consisting of three integrated components:

The vision provides a foundation for outlining the community’s identity, expectations, and ideals for future development while being grounded in an understanding of the economic market realities of the district.
Transformation strategies identify long-term and short-term actions that provide a clear sense of priorities and direction to help move a community closer to implementing its vision. Work on these strategies should align with the Main Street Four Points of organization, promotion, design, and economic vitality.
The Main Street organization must show visible results that can only come from implementing action items and completing projects in the short-term and long term. Main Street must focus on measuring progress and results in order to justify and demonstrate the wise use of scarce resources.

Successful Main Street Districts provide:

Walkable, human-scale environments
Unique, historic, and visually attractive architecture
A mix of uses, activities, and consumers
A strong existing tax base that attracts new businesses and creates jobs
A center for activity and community life
Positive community image and identity
Opportunities for public-private partnerships
A place for the community to define its identity through a shared vision of place

Key Questions:

Does your potential district meet UTAH MAIN STREET PROGRAM (UMSP) standards for traditional downtown and/or neighborhood commercial districts?
Is historic preservation important to local citizens and stakeholders?
Is downtown revitalization a community priority?
Do you want to leverage human and financial resources in support of downtown?
Is there a desire to build broad-based community support for downtown revitalization?
Are public and private stakeholders ready to engage in these efforts?

If your community is ready, the next step is to participate in the Utah Main Street Community Application process.

For More Information

Chelsea Gauthier,
Utah Main Street Program Coordinator, cgauthier@utah.gov