restore_mariettamain

COMMITTEES

For several years, the idea of becoming a Main Street designated community has been debated among people in Marietta. A few months ago, Mayor Mullen invited citizens who had a strong interest in revitalizing Marietta to come together and begin holding monthly meetings to explore the possibility of becoming a designated Main Street Community. With the Mayor’s encouragement, this small citizens’ committee has been meeting regularly and has matured into a more formal group that has chosen the name “ReStore Marietta”. The group has progressed to the point where it has drafted and adopted By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation, applied for and received an EIN,

gotten a postal box (PO Box 5013, Marietta, OH 45750), created a checking account and is in the process of applying for non-profit status.
What exactly is “Main Street”? It is the name of a program that has been developed to help towns achieve revitalization. In simplest terms, “Main Street” is a recipe for economic rejuvenation. It has eight key principles upon which its success has been built.

		The Main Street approach utilizes eight principles: (1) Take a comprehensive approach (2) Do things incrementally (3) Realize success depends on local “boot strap” efforts (4) Develop public and private partnerships (5) Capitalize on existing assets (6) Do everything the best quality you can (7) Acknowledge that progress requires change in attitudes and procedures and finally (8) Accept the fact that activity creates confidence – don’t wait, get started on the plan as soon as possible”.

Mission Statement:
ReStore Marietta will stimulate economic vitality, enhance the visual appearance, and improve the quality of life in Marietta through the promotion of our Historic Downtown as a great to live, work, shop, and invest.

    Those are the fundamental elements of Main Street and ReStore Marietta is a citizen’s committee trying to determine if the Main Street program is the recipe that Marietta should follow to revitalize our town. For more information on Main Street programs in Ohio, click here.
    ReStore Marietta is positioned to become an incredibly powerful force in revitalizing Marietta. A non-governmental, non-profit organization like ReStore Marietta has the ability to apply for and receive federal grant money and private grant money to do things like buy and restore dilapidated buildings, create green spaces of rest where vacant lots sit now, to refurbish the upper floors of down town properties so they are affordable and suitable for moderate income singles or families and smaller projects like the creation of more street festivals and family-friendly events.
    These are all admirable goals but none of them can be achieved until we go to the next step which is where you come in. We are at the point where the committee can no longer do it alone. Now before you jump to the conclusion that this is a solicitation for money, read carefully what the next line says. We want your opinion and your vote far more than we want your money. To be the type of grass-roots non-profit organization that we want to be, yes, we have to charge a small membership fee but that’s to qualify people as being interested much more than it is about raising money. Basically corporate memberships are $100 and private memberships are $50 and what that contribution buys you is a vote in the ReStore organizational process.