About Main Street Waterloo

By the mid 1970’s, older commercial districts across the country began to decay and downtowns lost their role as the center of the community, resulting in a decline economically and physically. The National Trust for Historic Preservation created the Main Street program in 1975 to save the heritage and character of America’s traditional commercial districts, but also revive its economy. Main Street is founded on the concept of economic development within the context of historic preservation. This concept allows for new development that is compatible with the existing downtown physical environment. Through the Main Street Approach, a community can re-establish its self-reliance and rebuild its downtown, based on downtown’s traditional assets: personal service, local ownership, unique architecture and a sense of community.

Main Street Waterloo is an affiliate of the Main Street Iowa program, using the National Main Street Center’s “Four Point Approach” to downtown revitalization. The program stresses a public-private partnership and is utilized by nearly 2,000 communities of all sizes, in 42 states. Using this approach, 33 Iowa downtowns are working to strengthen the overall social and economic health of their central business districts, and re-establish their commercial districts as the community focal point and center of activity.

Waterloo became a Main Street community in 1996, when Cedar Skyline Corporation, the UpDowntowners, Waterloo Downtown Council, and the Waterloo Redevelopment Authority were combined into a single entity, under the umbrella of Main Street Waterloo. The program receives its funding from donations, rents collected, grants, sponsorships and revenue from events.

Our Mission

Main Street Waterloo is a private-public partnership dedicated to the revitalization of our city's downtown center utilizing the Main Street approach.

Four Point Approach

1. Design
   Main Street works to improve the visual quality of the downtown area utilizing historic preservation as a basis for good visual appeal, as well as encouraging compatible new developments.
2. Economic Restructuring
   Main Street strives to enhance the overall economic vitality by strengthening and diversifying the business base of the entire downtown area. This council also manages the properties owned by Main Street Waterloo and reviews lease and sale proposals to insure that these properties will be properly developed and that their development will compliment the entire downtown area.
3. Marketing & Promotions
   Main Street promotes the entire downtown area as an exciting city center through special events, retail and image-building events.
4. Organization
   Main Street brings together many diverse groups and individuals to work together towards accomplishing the goals and objectives of downtown revitalization.