Heritage Ohio picks downtown Canton, 4 others for Main Street program assessment

CANTON – Downtown Canton is taking its first step toward becoming Ohio’s next Main Street community .

Heritage Ohio, which administers the state Main Street program for Main Street America, has selected Canton and four other Ohio communities to undergo an assessment to see whether they qualify for the nationally recognized Main Street program, which helps downtowns revitalize their historic and commercial areas. The other selected communities are Girard and Niles in Trumbull County, Urbana in Champaign County and Waverly in Pike County.

More than 2,000 communities nationwide, including 52 Ohio communities , are part of the Main Street program, which was created in the late 1980s by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Matt Wiederhold, executive director of Heritage Ohio, said Canton's proposal stood out because it showed a commitment to downtown through the creation of the Downtown Canton Partnership in 2022 and the city's recent investments.

He said the Main Street program also could help Canton with its desire to preserve its downtown history and to attract businesses to an area with a roughly 17% vacancy rate.

"There is a very engaged community that wants to do good work and they have a lot of things going in the right direction," said Wiederhold, whose agency has administered the Ohio Main Street program since 1998.

Here are four things to know about downtown Canton's quest for the Main Street designation:

1. The Heritage Ohio application was a joint effort

The Downtown Canton Partnership and city of Canton submitted a joint application to Heritage Ohio.

Todd Herberghs, executive director of Downtown Canton Partnership, believes downtown Canton has many resources to build on, such as its location and arts, cultural and historical assets.

“We believe that being a part of the Main Street program would continue to prove that the city of Canton is committed to honoring the historic preservation and beautification of downtown Canton and prioritizing the revitalization of our downtown commercial area,” Herberghs said in a statement.

The organization, which receives $250,000 a year from the city under a two-year contract, oversees the marketing and promotion of downtown events and businesses, coordinates downtown events such as First Friday, awards grants to fund downtown events and organizations, and oversees the Downtown Canton Special Improvement District.

2. Heritage Ohio will host a public meeting in Canton on Oct. 1

A Heritage Ohio team with downtown revitalization experts from around the state will visit Canton on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2.

The team will tour downtown, talk with community and business leaders and host a public meeting on Oct. 1 to better understand current conditions and to hear ideas for the future of downtown Canton.

Canton Planning Director Donn Angus hopes to discuss whether Canton should expand its existing historical district to include areas such as the Warehouse District along Walnut Avenue NE where some structures are now eligible due to their age. Expanding the historical district could allow more property owners to take advantage of state historic preservation tax credits when they make repairs or renovations, he said.

3. A new Main Street board would be created

Wiederhold said roughly 75% of the communities that undergo the assessment move forward to become a Main Street affiliate, which requires the community to appoint a full-time paid employee to oversee the Main Street program, establish a board of directors and receive financial support from the municipality.

The board typically includes representatives from the city, the downtown association, a local historian, a lawyer or banker, and community members from downtown or an adjacent neighborhood. The board would be tasked with choosing which projects to undertake first.

4. Ohio Main Street program unlocks new funding streams

Becoming a part of the Ohio Main Street program and Main Street America would unlock new funding streams for Canton and downtown property owners.

“The key for us is the ability to tap into various grant funding and other program opportunities that we’ve never been able to do so,” Angus said.

The Main Street program also provides ongoing technical assistance and training for staff and volunteers, such as preservation planning, strategic planning and board development, special event and fundraising planning, and small business support.

Reach Repository staff writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com .

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Heritage Ohio picks downtown Canton, 4 others for Main Street program assessment