DOWNTOWN
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REVITALIZATION
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sets the
standards and guidelines for Main Street organizations
across the country. The steps to revitalization include
getting the community focused on the same goals,
promoting a positive image of the downtown, creating
an attractive and safe area with a cohesive look, and economic
restructuring to support existing businesses while
attracting new ones.
Jon Ward, head of the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency,
praised Tillman and Main Street, saying the group’s
leadership helped the city reverse the slide of the historic
downtown, recreated its image, and supported the business
community.
“Main Street played a pivotal role in the long-term
goal of rebuilding the physical infrastructure and sense
of place of our community,” he says. “Early on, they took
the lead in establishing a vibrant historic preservation
program as well as focusing on the needs of our downtown
merchants.”
In the mid-1990s a workshop facilitated by the Treasure
Coast Regional Planning Council brought people from
all over the community together to plan the downtown’s
future. The old saying, “Great minds think alike” turned
out to be fairly true, Tillman says.
“Everyone came up at the end to make their presentations
on what the future should be, and it was so funny
that the ideas were all similar,” she says.
In 1997 a marketing study was conducted to see what
kinds of businesses might be supported if they moved to
the downtown, she says.
Come Join Us!
Weekly Jazz Jams
Scholarship &
Educational Programs
Saturday Jazz Market – 8am - 1pm
Tri-Annual Waterside Blues Concerts
Annual Jazz Week
Annual Mardi Gras
Parade & Party
772-460-5299
WWW.JAzzSoCiETy.orG
Not for profit 501(C)(3) organization
>>
ED DRONDOSKI
Joe and Pam Barone window shop in downtown Fort Pierce.
/www.jazzsociety.org
/WWW.JAzzSoCiETy.orG
