Gardnerville revitalization board begins training

In the wake of another small business closing in downtown Gardnerville, Yesterdays Antiques, Gifts & Collectibles, newly appointed members of the Main Street Gardnerville Board of Directors will spend the next few weeks learning how to best govern a revitalization effort.

"I want to learn the ins and outs of policy and be able to function more professionally," said Marcia Voeller, who was elected board vice chair at their first meeting June 18. "This is the first time a lot of us have done this, and we really want everyone involved. The more people, the better off the program will be."

Gardnerville Town Manager Jim Park, certified Main Street manager Tim Rubald and Rural Economic Development Director for the Nevada Commission on Economic Development, Joe Locurto, will oversee the training sessions.

"We'll be training about the basic operations of Main Street's four-point approach," said Park.

The program's four points are organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring.

"It's more of a process than one simple step," Park said. "We want to learn the best practices, how other communities have done it and what to look for."

The Main Street Program was established in the 1980s by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in response to urban sprawl. Rather than developing space around a town, the program emphasizes reinvestment in a town itself, preserving historic elements while developing a local economy from within. It encourages both public and private funding and volunteers to organize committees and events. More than 2,000 towns across the country have participated in the program.

Voeller, who owns Especially For You on Eddy Street, said it's a way to rebuild downtown.

"I feel we really need to keep people in our town shopping," she said. "We also need to look for a visitor element."

The program was seeded $25,000 from the Gardnerville Town Board and $50,000 from the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. The Main Street board will decide where money is allocated and for what projects.

"With the enthusiasm of everyone associated with our new local program, I am confident that the community will see fantastic results," said Paul Lindsay, Main Street member and vice chairman of the Gardnerville Town Board. "We're fortunate to be working with a very talented group."

The Main Street Board will meet every third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Gardnerville Town Hall. The next meeting is July 16. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.