Manager’s Handbook

While this handbook was created to help new Main Street Manager’s transition into their role, the resources identified in this document are relative to any Main Street Manager or Board Member regardless of their experience level. In this handbook you will find a breakdown of the Main Street Approach, an overview of benefits and requirements for accredited Georgia Main Street cities, a guide to financial resources, tax credit programs and grants along with a chapter dedicated to guiding managers through the strategic planning process.

Chapter 1- National Main Street Program
Chapter 2- Georgia Main Street Program
Chapter 3- Standards and Requirements
Chapter 4- Organizational Structure
Chapter 5- Strategic Planning
Chapter 6- Funding Opportunities
Chapter 7- Historic Preservation Tax Credits and Grants




This workbook was created by the Georgia Main Street Program as a resource to assist local Main Street managers and board members in identifying, selecting and implementing a transformation strategy for the downtown district. While the National Main Street Center has developed 21 “off the shelf ” Catalyst Strategies based on either a specific customer segment or industry/product, the Georgia Main Street Program has worked to develop 15 Strategies which we believe more broadly represent the needs in our local communities and the challenges we have seen directly impacting our Main Street Programs. While the Georgia Main Street Program’s Catalyst Strategies are thematic in nature, this particular element allows them to be suitable for communities of all sizes. These unifying themes may be adopted and applied more broadly across multiple retail sectors, industries and customers segments, serving both rural and urban communities alike.

From gathering data and hosting a community visioning session to selecting your strategy and measuring your impact this workbook has resources, examples and the necessary tools needed to guide you from start to finish through the entire strategic planning process.


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Main Street Publications



A community visioning session provides the local Main Street program an opportunity to invite a diverse and varied representation of the public to contribute ideas, recommendations, and resources to the vision, which will ultimately shape downtown. While the size and scope of the community visioning session will vary from town to town, the purpose it plays in work plan development remains the same. The ideas expressed in this guide will serve as a framework for the manager, the board of directors, and the downtown’s strategic plan for years to come. When done correctly it can encourage citizen buy-in and support, grow stakeholder engagement, and leverage financial resources. On the following pages we have outlined a step-by-step guide to planning your community’s visioning session keeping in mind that a visioning session should serve solely as an opportunity to listen and to gauge involvement. This is one of the first steps in a multi-step process that will shape your Main Street program’s strategic plan.

Click “Buy Now” below to purchase a printed copy of the Guide to Hosting a Community Visioning Session to have this resource shipped directly to your doorstep. You can access a free digital copy using the download link below.


Market analysis is a critical tool in helping decision makers assess the economic conditions of their commercial districts and arrive at an effective plan for transformation. This resource guide takes market analysis — a key component of the Main Street Approach — and breaks it down for practitioners.

This guide is intended to help Main Street directors and community leaders implement a people-centered design process. It explores the range of issues that impact the physical characteristics of a downtown and provides you with a roadmap for navigating the set of choices involved in implementing holistic design principles to ensure they complement the overall strategy for your downtown.

This guide will provide you with a practical framework for understanding how to launch or strengthen your community engagement efforts, and actionable tools to put to use in your own community. What follows is very much an overview; take advantage of the links to more information provided throughout and at the end. And be sure to read the National Main Street Center’s accompanying resource guides for support in turning the fruits of your community engagement process into actionable strategies for revitalizing your downtown or commercial district.