Main Street Program

Mission Statement


To create a positive image and appearance downtown, while improving quality of life for the commercial and residential neighborhood, and to recognize that the Plaquemine Historic District Commission and Plaquemine Main Street Program make significant contributions toward the economic and cultural growth of the City of Plaquemine.

Vision Statement


To create diverse business and services mix; local historic preservation ethic; and promotions and community events plus marketing that reflects the City's diversity, strong sense of community and unique geographic setting.

Program Description


The Main Street Program is under the National Main Street Center, designed to restore the downtown area as a viable marketplace and the center of community activity. It is a program that builds on the downtown’s total image; therefore, the approach is an incremental one that utilizes a Four Point Approach™:
  • Design - Involves improving the downtown image by enhancing its physical appearance.
  • Organization - Building consensus and cooperation between groups that play roles in the downtown.
  • Promotion - Involves marketing the downtown’s unique characteristics to shoppers, investors, new businesses, tourists and others.
  • Economic Restructuring - Strengthening the existing economic base of the downtown while diversifying it. Helping existing downtown businesses expand, recruiting new businesses to provide a balanced mix, converting unused space into productive property and sharpening the competitiveness of downtown merchants.

Commitment


The Main Street Program is committed to keeping a vibrant downtown where people live, work and play. This is an on-going program that is essentially the management of change over time. Main Street Program produces dramatic short-term improvements, particularly in appearance and promotions, while creating a strong organizational foundation that is critical to long-term revitalization success.

It strengthens and enhances the business and local citizen’s relationship with local government and it promotes job creation and retention. The Main Street Program focuses on the Plaquemine downtown area through communicating and developing the importance of preservation of all historic buildings. This historic image is further developed by making downtown a more vital contact to the areas overall economy.
  1. Completed Projects
  2. Funding
  3. History
  4. Main Street District
  5. Reinvested Taxpayer Dollars

Completed Projects


Many projects have been completed toward the program's goals including:
  • Working with business owners to secure grants for facade improvements
  • Installing ornamental lighting and trash cans downtown
  • Renovating and opening the Plaquemine Depot Market for small businesses to sell antiques, crafts, artwork, and other items and host seasonal events
  • Installing brick sidewalk pavers along Railroad Avenue
  • Purchasing street pole banners for various seasons
  • Sponsoring several events annually to bring residents and others to the downtown Plaquemine area, such as the July 4th Hometown Celebration and Main Street Children's Christmas Festival, and the Saint Jude Antique Car Show
  • Assisting downtown business owners with customer service and other training programs to help their businesses prosper