Illinois Main Street training seminars, such as this membership development workshop in Forest Park, help community leaders explore ways to build grassroots support for their redevelopment efforts. Towns are also encouraged to use local and regional resources, such as the University of Illinois Extension, area colleges and universities, and private-sector professionals. Main Street is not a grant program. It assists communities develop the knowledge and skills necessary for ongoing, sustainable downtown management. Participating towns are expected to raise money to support their local Main Street programs, including hiring a professional program manager and covering the cost of registration, travel and lodging at state Main Street conferences and other training workshops.
Towns pay no participation fee.
On average, active communities receive four to six on-site visits from state staff per year, in addition to regional and statewide training. Annual statewide conference Illinois Main Street also provides communities with books, publications, slides, training videos and other downtown revitalization resource materials, including the monthly publication Illinois Main Street Matters . For questions or comments about this site, email the webmaster .