Historic Willamette Main Street is a nonprofit organization focused on business and community development as well as historic preservation. We are part of a national movement formed to improve the quality of life in small town America and to invigorate the economic health of the Historic Main Street central business districts.
The Main Street Program, developed and administered by the nonprofit National Main Street Center of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has utilized a public-private partnership of private investment, local government support, and local non-profit assistance to revitalize historic commercial districts.
Since 2010, Historic Willamette - A Main Street Community has had a positive effect on the revitalization of West Linn’s business district and the town as a whole. This locally-driven, hands-on, grass roots, self-help approach has met much success with its focus on four main points: Organization, Economic Vitality, Promotions and Design
In 2022, Historic Willamette – A Main Street Community, our 501(c)(3) organization, separated into 3 entities to better fit the guidelines set forth by the IRS for 501(c)(3) tax deductible nonprofit organizations.
Historic Willamette Main Street’s mission is to celebrate and preserve the rich history and natural beauty of the area, invest in the heart of our downtown by promoting our local businesses. Our purpose is to foster an inclusive, diverse community where local residents and visitors feel welcome to dine, shop, and connect and socialize with others.
HWMS believes that by taking action to achieve equity in our organization, programs, projects and events, we will fulfill our mission to develop Willamette Main Street as an equitable commercial district.
To improve our success and fulfill our mission, we strive to understand and address the historical legacies of systemic racism and inequality.
HWMS is committed to developing our internal policies and procedures to create an equitable organization. We will encourage and support our stakeholders and community in creating the conditions for broader community change.
HWMS is committed to being both a leader and a catalyst in promoting equity and inclusion within our community.
Tax Identification Numbers
27-2702137 Historic Willamette - A Main Street Community
88-2511864 Historic Willamette Main Street
88-2530310 Historic Willamette Markets
Every community and commercial district is different, with its own distinctive assets and sense of place. The Main Street Approach™ offers community-based revitalization initiatives with a practical, adaptable framework for downtown transformation that is easily tailored to local conditions. The Main Street Approach helps communities get started with revitalization and grows with them over time.
Main Street Fundamentals
The Main Street Approach is centered around Transformation Strategies. A Transformation Strategy articulates a focused, deliberate path to revitalizing or strengthening a downtown or commercial district’s economy.
A program’s work on Transformation Strategies should be organized around the Four Points: Economic Vitality, Design, Promotion, and Organization.
A revitalization program’s work – and its Transformation Strategies – need to be informed by a solid understanding of local and regional market data and sustained and inclusive community engagement.
Downtowns are traditionally the heart of a community – the social, economic, and civic center. Many of our downtowns in Oregon are “diamonds in the rough" that need a little polishing to sparkle once again. Others are vibrant and want to maintain their competitive advantage. Oregon Main Street is here to help communities wherever they are in their downtown revitalization efforts. We provide support to organizations who are ready to roll-up their sleeves; develop a vision for how they want their downtown to look, feel, and function; and then attract the people and financial resources to bring about the change they want to see happen. We accomplish this by providing training and technical assistance to communities participating in the Main Street Track of the Oregon Main Street Network, and by access to the Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant which funds building improvement projects that spur economic development for all Network communities (available once per biennium in odd years).
Oregon Main Street is a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program.
