Governor Ryan Creates Illinois Main Street Council Chaired by Lieutenant Governor Corinne Wood

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today signed Executive Order #11 creating the Illinois Main Street Council and named Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood as chairperson.

"The council will build on the success of Illinois' Main Street program and provide knowledge, experience and leadership useful to communities working to reinvigorate their historic downtown districts," Ryan said. "The council combines public and private sector expertise to help local leaders identify and enact the best development strategies for their communities."

Serving with Lt. Gov. Wood on the council are Pam McDonough, director of the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA), Susan Mogerman, director of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, DCCA Deputy Director Brenda Yager, Susan Klinkhamer, Mayor of St. Charles, Jim Baum, President of Baum's Inc., Mary Blankenbaker, Benjamin's Limited of Galena, John Guyon, Southern Illinois Tourism Development Office, Carolyn Oxtoby, Downtown Springfield, Inc., Greg Edwards, Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and Jim Mann, National Trust for Historic Preservation.

"The Illinois Main Street program has had considerable success helping town leaders and volunteers redevelop the community center and create jobs," said Lt. Governor Corinne Wood. "As the economic, social, physical and historical value of downtowns improves, so does the quality of life for community residents." The council will create a strategic plan, select communities to participate in the program, advise the Department of Commence and Community Affairs on downtown revitalization issues and select recipients of the Lieutenant Governors Award for Excellence in Downtown Revitalization on an annual basis. Pam McDonough, director of the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, said, "The creation of this council is a positive step for the Illinois Main Street program and for local Main Street organizations. The strength of a community can be found in its central business district, and this council will help local leaders create successful, active, attractive downtown areas."

Illinois Main Street was created in 1993 to assist communities with downtown revitalization. Originally housed in the Lieutenant Governor's Office, day-to-day administration of the program was transferred to the DCCA in 1999 to enhance coordination with other community development programs. Illinois Main Street follows the successful model established by the National Trust Main Street Center. Design services are provided in cooperation with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Connecting Communities to the Future is the theme of this year's Illinois Main Street & Competitive Communities Initiatives Spring Conference May 18-19 at the Springfield Hilton.

This is the first year the two groups have combined their conferences. Illinois Main Street began in the Lieutenant Governor's office in 1993 and joined the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA) in July 1999. Both are housed under Community Development/Division of Local Initiatives. CCI has been in DCCA since 1994.

Lieutenant Governor Wood is presenting 50 Awards of Excellence in Downtown Revitalization at the Illinois Main Street Dinner this evening. Illinois Main Street is a preservation-based, economic development program that provides assistance in downtown revitalization to participating communities. Competitive Communities Initiatives is a community-based planning technique which asks community to take charge of the economic development process.

For more information on these programs, contact Linda Williamson, manager of Local Initiatives, at 217/782-7514.

EXECUTIVE ORDER
NUMBER 11 (2000)

AN EXECUTIVE ORDER
CREATING THE ILLINOIS MAIN STREET COUNCIL

WHEREAS, the Illinois Main Street Program is based on the National Historic Trust's trademarked Main Street Four Point Approach which endeavors:

1. To build downtown management organizations;

2. To enhance the appearance of downtown areas through historic preservation;

3. To promote a unified, quality image that will bring people to downtown areas;

4. To retain and strengthen existing downtown businesses and recruit appropriate new businesses; and

WHEREAS, the Lieutenant Governor's Office created the Illinois Main Street Program in May 1993 to offer small rural and suburban communities technical assistance and hands on training for reviving their downtown areas; and

WHEREAS, the Lieutenant Governor's Office remains dedicated to fostering the growth of the Illinois Main Street Program to increase the economic, social, physical and historical value of downtown areas and to improve the quality of life in Illinois' communities; and

WHEREAS, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs was given the responsibility to administer the Illinois Main Street Program as a separate and distinct program within the Department in July 1999; and

WHEREAS, the Lieutenant Governor's Office and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs have agreed to work cooperatively and are collaborating to preserve and expand the integrity of the program through the creation of the Illinois Main Street Council.

THEREFORE, I, George H. Ryan, hereby order the following:

There is created the Illinois Main Street Council.

The membership of the Council shall be composed of:

The Lieutenant Governor, who shall be the chairperson of the Council, the Director of the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, who shall serve as ex-officio member of the council, and nine other persons appointed by the Governor, including representatives of the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, and others who have demonstrated an interest in downtown economic redevelopment and historic preservation.

The Chairperson shall:

1. Preside over meetings of the council which shall be held quarterly each year.

2. Actively promote the Main Street Program as the Official Spokesperson for the program at all Main Street events including the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Excellence in Downtown Revitalization.

The Council shall:

1. Develop a strategic plan for the Illinois Main Street Program.

2. Review and recommend all new Main Street Communities.

3. Review materials for public consumption and shall disseminate them collaboratively with the Lieutenant Governor's Office and DCCA.

4. Advise the Director of the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs on matters relating to the Illinois Main Street Program.

5. Approve and award the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Excellence in Downtown Revitalization on an annual basis.

6. Adopt by-laws governing the organization and administration of the Council which must be approved by a simple majority of the Council.

7. Issue an Annual Report on the Illinois Main Street Program no later than August 1 each year to the Governor and General Assembly.

This Executive Order Number 11 (2000) shall become effective upon filing with the Secretary of State.

GEORGE H. RYAN
Governor
May 18, 2000