SEATTLE – Following a successful application earlier this fall, the Alliance for Pioneer Square becomes a Washington Main Street Affiliate, effective January 1, 2024. Including the Alliance for Pioneer Square, the Washington State Main Street Program’s (WSMSP) network represents 77 towns and cities utilizing the nationally proven Main Street Four-Point Approach™ to revitalize their historic downtown districts across the state.
“We hope that connection to other communities in the network will spur creative ideas and new ways to engage our businesses and stakeholders,” said Jessa Timmer, Alliance for Pioneer Square Deputy Director. “The Alliance’s programming already uses many aspects of the Main Street Four-Point Approach and this designation will allow us to connect to other communities for idea sharing and networking.”
Since 1984, the WSMSP has been helping communities revitalize the economy, appearance, and identity of their downtown commercial districts in Washington. The WSMSP is a program of the Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, managed under contract by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. The program network includes two tiers – Affiliate and Main Street Community. The purpose of the Main Street Affiliate level is to provide access to resources and networking opportunities for entities that have an interest in revitalizing their downtown or neighborhood historic commercial district. The WSMSP supports local grassroots economic and community development with the Main Street Four Point Approach™, a framework developed by the National Main Street Center which is utilized in 45 states and thousands of towns nationwide.
“For over 40 years, folks across the nation have used the Main Street Four Point Approach to reinvest in their historic commercial cores because they hold our unique built and cultural assets,” said Jonelle McCoy, Main Street Specialist with the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. “Squares are places of business but also the places we gather as a community and make memories. I look forward to bolstering Pioneer Square’s revitalization efforts.”
WSMSP represents a diversity of small towns and major cities across the state. According to a 2019 study conducted by Jon Stover & Associates, one in four people live within five miles of a Washington Main Street Community. That equates to 1.9 million Washingtonians who are able to benefit from welcoming historic neighborhoods and thriving commercial districts in the places they call home.