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HISTORY
OF VISION VERSAILLES 2000+
In
February 2000, the City of Versailles joined other Kentucky
cities as pilot cities for a new service program being offered
by the Kentucky League of Cities, called Hometown, KLC. Elected
officials from the City of Versailles knew that in order to
achieve the goals in the Renaissance Kentucky program, they
would need ongoing assistance focused on the downtown.
The Mayor and City Council hosted a meeting on February 29,
2000 to introduce the Renaissance Kentucky and KY Main Street
programs to individuals selected to represent specific facets
of the community. A Steering Committee of downtown stakeholders
was formed, and they since created Vision Versailles 2000+.
The Committee and the City of Versailles realize that planning
is vitalin
order to protect the community’s heritage and plan for
the future.
The Vision Versailles 2000+ Board of Directors endeavored
to create a detailed work plan and implementation strategy
to fulfill the broad objectives recommended by the community
and the goals to be included into Versailles’ portion
of the Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Comprehensive Plan.
It was clear that the plan be proactive, connect the downtown
with the rest of the community, and be flexible, in order
to allow the organization and the community to focus efforts
and manage change.
Funding,
ongoing management, and active implementation of the program
have been critical components of Vision Versailles 2000+’s
success. Vision
Versailles 2000+ has had a lasting impact on development trends.
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By
carefully integrating the following four points and eight principles
into a practical downtown management strategy, the Main Street approach
produces fundamental changes in the downtown's economic base, making
it economically feasible to put historic commercial buildings to
productive use again.
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4-POINT APPROACH:
- Organization
- Focuses
on getting people working toward the same goals. This
involves a volunteer driven organizational structure
with a board and committees, working in conjunction
with a Main Street Manager.
- Design
- On
the physical aspects of downtown. Capitalizing on
the best assets and improving the visual appeal of
historic buildings and traditional downtown layouts
with good sidewalks and lighting plus organized parking
and signs.
- Promotion
- Focuses
on the marketing of downtown. By pointing out the
unique characteristics, promoting a positive image
and holding events that bring people to Main Street
, the perception of downtown will improve.
- Economic
Restructuring
- Focuses
on improving the economic climate. This involves helping
existing businesses to expand, recruiting new ones
for the changing market and finding new ways to change
underused buildings into productive property.
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PRINCIPLES THAT SUPPORT & INCORPORATE THE 4-POINT APPROACH
WITH MAIN STREETS:
- Comprehensive
Approach
- Quality
- Public
Private Partnership
- Changing
Attitudes
- Focus
on Existing Assets
- Self-Help
- Incremental
Improvement
- Implementation
Orientation
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