Main Street Program Elevates Success for Downtown Camas

Photo credit: Downtown Camas Association

The Washington State Main Street Program (Main Street) helps cities and towns revitalize their downtowns by leveraging their unique heritage and attributes, including historic, cultural, and architectural resources. The program offers technical and financial assistance to 39 Main Street Communities across the state, which are independent 501c3 or 501c6 nonprofit organizations dedicated solely to downtown revitalization; have committed the necessary time and training to develop community support, financial, and human resources; and are implementing the Main Street Approach.

Benefits of the Main Street community level include: access to National Main Street Accreditation, participation in the Main Street Tax Credit Incentive Program (MSTCIP) (see our blog Financing Tools for Downtown Revitalization for more information), invitations to regional Main Street 101 and capacity building workshops, leadership meetings/trainings, use of the Main Street Brand (eligibility based on national accreditation), eligibility to apply for the annual Excellence on Main Awards (this year’s deadline is June 26), and more.

Affiliate-level membership is also available for communities that are interested in downtown revitalization but do not have the resources to commit to the Main Street community level. Note that this year’s community-level applications are due July 15, 2024, and affiliate-level applications are due September 6, 2024. See Joining the Washington Main Street Network for more information.

The Downtown Camas Association and the Washington Main Street Program

For this blog, I interviewed Carrie Schulstad, Executive Director of the Downtown Camas Association (DCA), about the benefits of Main Street membership, how DCA has leveraged membership to build on past successes, and any lessons learned for other communities that may be interested in joining the Main Street program.

Tell me a little about DCA. How long have you worked there? What is your role?

DCA does all the things that help downtown Camas thrive! We provide resources for small businesses; promote and advocate for the city locally and regionally; conduct heritage preservation, beautification, and place development projects; host community events; and coordinate the hundreds of volunteers that help us do all this incredible work! The DCA began because of the great need for economic and social revitalization downtown.

I opened a shop in downtown in 2004 when there was very little going on and rents were inexpensive. I was not from Camas, so I did not know its full story until I had the shop. It was solely a mill town for many decades, during which the values of hard work, education, innovation, generosity, and being part of something bigger were woven into the community. Then industry and economics changed, and by the late 1990s, downtown Camas was no longer economically strong and businesses were not making it, but those values were still there.

I joined a city committee working on downtown revitalization ideas in 2005. In 2008, just when good work was gaining momentum (e.g., events, beautification, marketing, merchant resources), the city decided to stop funding the committee and its initiatives because of the recession. We felt like we needed to do more, not less, so the committee members adapted and joined Main Street, and the DCA became a nonprofit in 2009.

The DCA was volunteer run until we stabilized our funding. I started as the full-time Executive Director in 2014, and we have grown to three full-time staff who work with our board and volunteers, our partners, and local merchants to create this vital and charming downtown experience.

DCA is a member of Main Street. In what ways has membership benefited DCA and helped revitalize downtown?

I cannot stress enough what a difference it has made for us to have the resources and guidance of Main Street. They help communities get off on the right start. As the state program has grown, we have developed a kinship with the staff and the other accredited Main Streets throughout the state. We support and learn from each other, and that spirit of collaboration is fostered by the program.

Main Street provides resources, education on best practices, information about available grants and funding, assistance with historic preservation, advocacy support for state and local programs, local program evaluation and guidance, and the chance to visit other Main Street communities throughout the state.

The MSTCIP is a key way our accredited local programs are funded. The program allows businesses to donate funds to organizations like DCA and receive a Business & Occupation or Public Utility tax credit of 75% of the donation amount, up to $250,000. As the MSTCIP has grown, more funding is available at the local level via donations from area businesses, and our capacity has grown. It would be far more challenging to do what we do without this support.

DCA was recently selected as a semifinalist for the 2024 Great American Main Street Award. What was the application process like? Why do you think you were selected?

We are very honored and humbled to be chosen as a semifinalist for the Great American Main Street Award. It is affirming that our work is making a difference! Even though it was an exhaustive task to evaluate our efforts and describe what we do, what we have done, and where we are going, it was well worth the exercise! It made us (staff, board) look at how far we have come, what has been the most meaningful and the most challenging work, how our city’s culture has changed, and why all our efforts are worth it.

We were selected because we are small but mighty and show that you can transform a community even if you do not have a gigantic budget.

The DCA awards summary mentions that your efforts have reduced vacancy rates from 60% in 2009 to less than 1% today. What have been the main contributors to this success?

I attribute it to:

• Having a clear vision and plan for recruitment.
• Putting a system in place to inform small businesses about resources and happenings and keeping them connected with our organization and each other.
• Marketing Camas and area businesses.
• Hosting meaningful community events that put us on the map and bring people together.
• Investing in our downtown infrastructure and beautification projects.
• Creating a culture of inclusiveness — We are all in this together and part of something larger than ourselves.
• Promoting positive interactions with and among businesses — Downtown Camas is a place where businesses can thrive and be supported.

The summary also mentions the effort to save the iconic roofline lighting covering some downtown buildings. Tell us more about this project.

Our volunteer group, the “Light Brigade,” began slowly placing lights on the ridgelines of our buildings in 2010 and, over the years, 21 buildings were lit. Thanks to these efforts, Camas is known for having a charming and warm evening aesthetic.

In July of 2020, due to new code compliance issues, we were told that the lighting would have to be upgraded or it would need to be removed, which would have been a major blow. Our DCA staff, board, and Light Brigade members worked with the fire marshal to come up with a temporary solution and to create a two-year plan to bring all the lighting and electrical up to code.

The Light Brigade worked with a local electrical consultant to find out how to upgrade each building. These plans were eventually approved by the fire marshal, but paying for electrical upgrades was going to be a substantial challenge for the impacted small business owners, so taking this on as a comprehensive DCA project made the most sense.

Through the MSTCIP we received unexpected, additional donations in 2021, which allowed our board to budget for the electrical upgrades for 2022.

Once final plans were determined, the contractor was prepped, and with lots of DCA coordination with property owners and businesses, 21 buildings with 39 businesses were able to be upgraded in three days, and our downtown ridgeline lighting was preserved! Another bonus was that the bid came in under our budget, so we had some funding to add lights to buildings that did not have them before.

Tell us about the role of partnerships in the revitalization process (e.g., with the city, downtown business owners, other nonprofits, etc.)?

Partnerships are paramount! We could not do what we need to do without our key organizational partners, including:

• The City of Camas — We collaborate on downtown decision-making, planning, and committee efforts; event street closures; flower basket and landscape maintenance; and the installation of public art, benches, and signage.
• The Camas School District — We collaborate with DECA (a business and marketing program with high school chapters across the nation); recruit student volunteers for downtown events; send out First Friday invites and other event marketing through the district; and mentor senior projects and downtown art projects with students.
• Camas downtown merchants — Local merchants participate heavily in First Friday activities and support our efforts through sponsorships and donations. They are amazing entrepreneurs and help make Camas a place people want to return to.
• The Clark County Historical Museum — We have worked closely with them to create 10 downtown interpretive panels, host walking tours, and arrange joint speaking engagements.
• The Port of Camas-Washougal — Port staff participate in our advisory committees and attend our First Friday events.
• Local state legislators — State officials support and advocate for the Main Street Program and sponsor local capital funding projects.

What is next for downtown Camas?

Our vision for the next 5-10 years is to continue developing our economic vitality, promoting the arts and family engagement, and expanding our amenities and charming aesthetic from our main street (4th avenue) to 3rd to 6th avenues.

Camas is in the middle of a state-mandated comprehensive planning process, and this time they are also doing a downtown subarea plan. Our town was founded in 1883, so we will learn about the infrastructure updates needed, community feedback regarding downtown amenities, and how the city plans to move forward with development. The city needs more housing, commercial space, and gathering spaces, but we also need to know what our community wants and what our infrastructure capacity is before we can plan effectively.

We have a large, transformative lighting project planned for our downtown area, which was made possible through partnerships with our state legislators, lighting and electrical consultants, and our property owners. We will be adding lighting to more building facades, and that will make a huge difference in the safety, economic vitality, and circulation of downtown at night, especially down our much-too-dark side streets.

What advice do you have for other nonprofits and local governments working on downtown revitalization efforts?

So many things! Here are some of the key ones:

• Be authentic. It is ok to start where you truly are. Evaluate the assets you already have and build on them. Tell your town’s cool history story so people know why it is so great.
• Be consistent. We hold our popular First Fridays each month so people can reliably find fun and connection. We have been doing a weekly community newsletter since 2014 so everyone is informed and knows how to connect with downtown.
• Persevere! This is important work but not easy. Have a sense of humor, stay positive, have allies that work hard together and stay focused — and support each other in the good times and the challenging ones.
• Trust does not happen overnight. People do not like change. Listen to what others have to say and learn from them. It takes time to show them you mean what you are saying.
• Build fun into your programs! Creating joy helps engage the community, builds loyalty in volunteers and staff, and makes for a more sustainable program.
• Demonstrate success. Take small, visible steps on a regular basis.
• Have a clear vision and mission and a workable plan.
• Hire full-time staff. This work is worth the investment.
• Stay informed and connected. Relationships are key, so build them in and outside of your organization. Find ways to make that happen.
• Try not to take on too much. Do not be swayed from your plan or mission even though the need is great and you get a lot of requests (and you will).
• Goodwill is powerful. Serving people is why we do what we do — keep that focus.

Finally, support and invest in your local Main Street programs. These programs are there to provide the things that small cities cannot do on their own — to bring the quality of life you want in your community. This is important work, and all communities can benefit from a well-run Main Street program.

For more information about the Downtown Camas Association, contact Carrie Schulstad.