The Painesville Main Street Program Board of Directors are working to implement the Ohio Main Street Program here in the City of Painesville. The first step to this application process is the organization of a D.A.R.T. visit.

What is the Downtown Assessment Resource Team Visit (DART)? The Downtown Assessment Resource Team visit, or DART, is designed to assist any community in Ohio in addressing their downtown issues and identifying the necessary revitalization efforts. Through the visit, participants set action priorities for taking significant steps in building comprehensive business management solutions within their downtown. Painesville Main Street Program Board Members have set the date for their DART Visit: April 26th, 2007 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Elks Club 723 Liberty Street. Reservations must be taken so please call Cathy Bieterman at 440-392-5795 to make your reservations.

The Ohio Main Street Program, administered by Heritage Ohio, has been working with communities across the state to revitalize their historic or traditional commercial areas. Based in historic preservation, the Main Street approach was developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to save historic commercial architecture and the fabric of American communities' built environment, but has become a powerful economic development tool as well. The Main Street program is designed to improve all aspects of the downtown or central business district, producing both tangible and intangible benefits. Improving economic management, strengthening public participation, and making downtown a fun place to visit are as critical to Main Street's future as recruiting new businesses, rehabilitating buildings, and expanding parking. Building on downtown's inherent assets -- rich architecture, personal service, and traditional values and most of all, a sense of place -- the Main Street approach has rekindled entrepreneurship, downtown cooperation and civic concern. It has earned national recognition as a practical strategy appropriately scaled to a community's local resources and conditions. And because it is a locally driven program, all initiative stems from local issues and concerns.

The District Assessment Resource Team visit brings experienced revitalization professionals from around the state into the community to assess the downtown district’s strengths and challenges and to focus on designing realistic and achievable solutions. The resource team typically consists of three individuals representing Heritage Ohio staff, membership and public/private downtown practitioners. This one and a half day District Assessment Resource Team visit contains two distinct components. The first, is an early evening tour through the district with key community stakeholders and team members. The second, is a full-day interactive workshop with community representatives to consider and discuss all factors relevant to the revitalization of the district. This all day workshop which will be held on April 26th serves as an introduction to the basic building blocks of a comprehensive revitalization program based on locally implemented activities in grass roots organizing, downtown promotions, physical improvements and economic restructuring. At the conclusion of the visit, participants should have a clear understanding of the assets and challenges of the downtown district, set priorities for action, identify several projects to undertake and establish a group to lead local revitalization efforts.

In order to host an effective D.A.R.T. Visit, we need the support of local businesses and active citizens for a full day interactive and active participation workshop. We have made all of these accommodations through the support of The Main Street Program Board of Directors, The Painesville City Improvement Corporation, The City of Painesville, The Painesville Area Chamber of Commerce and various local businesses and citizens. Painesville Main Street Program Board Members have set the date for their DART Visit and encourage you to make your reservation: April 26th, 2007 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Elks Club 723 Liberty Street. Reservations must be taken so please call Cathy Bieterman at 440-392-5795 to make your reservations.