The Main Street Association maintains vital relationships with the Louisville Downtown Partnership and Metro Louisville and advocates for the needs of Main Street businesses and members. Our staff and board meet regularly with these groups and others to weigh in on policy and city initiatives. We provide a collective voice for our constituents.
Below are some of our advocacy efforts:
Working with the city, the Main Street Association got a loading zone and parking meters reinstated on Washington Street at the request of area property owners.
The Main Street Association participates in ongoing traffic conversations and street changes.
The Main Street Association plays a vital troubleshooting role in new business development efforts on Main Street, including concerns about permitting/zoning, parking, security and other issues. For instance, we spearheaded a successful meeting with TARC officials at the request of two Main Street businesses for better route access for their employees.
Concerned about the loss of some of our historic street furniture, we were able to locate, move and secure all the molds for the tree guards and walking sticks, which are such and integral part of our streetscape.
Through lobbying efforts, we initiated conversations with the city to maintain historic Ft. Nelson Park at the corner of 7th and Main, which had been ignored for quite some time.
We are exploring new ways of expanding the “Main Street experience” to include Portland and areas further west on Main.
Through our committees, Main Street Association board members are proactively engaged with government agencies to tackle Main Street corridor issues, including creative design, land and building use, signage, lighting, landscaping and parking.
Marketing/Publicity Efforts
The Main Street Association works to help member businesses grow by attracting more visitors, residents and employees to the street. We do this through social media, word-of-mouth, community partnerships, programming and cooperative advertising.
Below are some of our marketing and promotional efforts:
MSA placed cooperative ads in the Welcome to Greater Louisville brochure, promoting Main Street during a large national sporting event, and received positive feedback about increased tourist traffic from our cultural venues on Main Street.
Numerous stories about Main Street development projects and activities have appeared in The Courier-Journal, Business First, Louisville Magazine, LEO, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Southern Living and others.
The Main Street Association Executive Director regularly participates in collaborative city marketing efforts, as well as city event committees.
The Main Street Association continues to work in tandem with other organizations to promote many downtown events such as First Friday, Waterfront Wednesdays and Hometown Tourist.
The Main Street Association continues to expand its role as an advocate for Main Street arts and cultural venues by exploring new partnership opportunities with museums, galleries and attractions.
Business, Government and Community Links
The Main Street Association utilizes electronic tools (e-blasts, social media) to keep MSA members aware of any safety concerns or other issues. We also use these tools to share regular information about public improvement projects and other things affecting Main Street.
The Main Street Association maintains involvement with many other organizations, including: