Hometown Minnesota Workshop
April 12, 2007
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Winona City Hall,
207 Lafayette Street
Winona, Minnesota

How do downtown businesses work together to plan for and make investments that serve the entire downtown? Join Hometown Minnesota in Winona on Thursday, April 12th to discuss the organizational options that allow individual businesses, property owners, residents, and others to take action on common investment goals on Main Street.

Unlike the mall on the edge of town, the downtown has no common ownership. Without common ownership many downtowns struggle to make decisions on unifying appearance or operations, jointly promoting services and goods, and making investments to create a welcoming place for the heart of the community. The workshop program will feature the options for using existing organizations to make common investments and the potential for specialized tools such as Special Service Districts (SSDs) to meet downtown goals.

The workshop will address questions such as:

• What are the organizational options for creating a downtown-focused group?
• What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of different organization types in terms of making investments in the downtown?
• What are Special Service Districts and how might SSDs offer a vehicle for joint action by downtown businesses, residents, and others?

The workshop will include small group discussion to ensure that attendees can discuss their own community's opportunities and situation.

Cost: $75.00 per workshop per community
Workshops are free to Hometown member communities. Refreshments will be provided.

RSVP to
Jayne Meier, Community Development Dept.
507-457-8250
jmeier@cityhall.luminet.net

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Hometown Minnesota, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization founded by communities active in the old Minnesota Main Street Program. Hometown Minnesota is an advocate for enhancing and revitalizing the heart of small Minnesota communities, the Main Street business district.

Hometown, Minnesota promotes sustainable local economic development, community character and local history, and community-based entrepreneurial development. By connecting Minnesota communities with resources, technical assistance, and the organizational experience of other communities, Hometown Minnesota helps communities preserve and restore their downtown districts.

Hometown Minnesota workshops are made possible through your memberships.

Become an Affiliate member or renew your membership today.

For additional information please contact:

Brian Ross
Hometown Minnesota, Inc.
2634 Vincent Avenue North Minneapolis, M 55411
612 - 588 - 4904 bross@crplanning.com