Keeping Up Appearances
What makes a Downtown successful? There is no single formula. Product, price, display, service, location and marketing all play a part. So does the outward appearance of the business and buildings. Many store owners regard the appearance as secondary to the more immediate concerns of price, product and service. Too often, the building itself is neglected or mishandled.
Experience shows, time and time again, that appearance is important to a healthy commercial district. With merchants and property owners working together to create an attractive image, the downtown as a whole can benefit.
Through the National Main Street Center, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has demonstrated the value of keeping up appearances. Without gimmicks or themes, it has shown how to build on resources and strengths that already exist in traditional commercial centers across the country. The following document contains helpful information and techniques for correctly renovating a building, historic or otherwise.
