Citizens record their ideas:
The charrette participants organize themselves into groups, discuss the issues that are important to them, and prepare one diagram that explains their views with graphics and text. The following pages display the diagrams prepared by the citizens during the charrette. Their comments are included in the minutes. They are provided without additional commentary from the professional team or city staff.
Tactical benefits from this Charrette:
It’s very important that we move our community together,
because if one of us fails, all of us fail.
The Main Street approach advocates enhancements in four distinct areas, with the goal of creating a positive image for Downtown:
1. Organization
The Main Street program provides an established forum to discuss the challenges and opportunities in downtown Vero Beach. Main Street is a grass-roots organization, composed of local business people and interested citizens, who serve the community as volunteers. They provide organization and support to activities that benefit downtown. Main Street encourages and nurtures collaboration, through all means available. Members are in constant touch with the community, in public meetings, charrettes, events around town, in casual conversations, or through newspaper articles.
2. Promotion
Main Street organizes events and activities that raise the visibility of downtown, and promote the positive qualities of the community. Main Street volunteers donate their time an effort during fundraising events and improvement projects. Main Street prepares marketing materials that introduce the community to the advantages of patronizing downtown businesses, and describe the importance of a viable and successful downtown to the City of Vero Beach and Indian River County.
3. Design
When ideas are clear and consensus is reached during a Charrette or workshop, Main Street provides further assistance by preparing a plan redevelopment and assisting with the implementation of quality design. The plan includes effective tools that address the challenges of property owners and business people. Some tools deal with public projects. Other tools address specific private projects, such as façade improvements, storefront displays and sign. The Main Street approach emphasizes quality and aesthetic appeal as a means to transform downtown into a desirable destination.
4. Economic Restructuring
After the plan is prepared, Main Street helps identify the leaders and business people who can implement the plan. Most of the time, leaders will be ready to get to work. After all, they are people who care about our community. Main Street provides a new way to collaborate and learn from each other, and promote the economic redevelopment of downtown. Main Street provides assistance, overall direction and vision for the success of the private sector, in close collaboration with the City of Vero Beach.