aboutus

Welcome to Clinton Missouri's Historic Square District. It's as if you closed your eyes and took a step
back in time to the 1800's! You are now shopping and browsing through Clinton's Downtown area.
You're surrounded by over 150 services and retail shops. Here you will find unique jewelry, high fashion
clothing, an array of gift items, and even an old fashion soda fountain.

You'll spend the day discovering a host of services and friendly, caring folks to assist you with everything
from home decorating to insurance. The specialty shops will overwhelm you with a selection of
antiques, handcraft supplies and many other treasures. Don't forget to take time out at one of Downtown
Clinton's restaurants.

The revitalization of Clinton's Downtown has been the focus of Clinton Main Street, Inc. since 1989. We
hope you enjoy your visit to our website.

Our Relationship to the National Trust

Clinton Main Street, Inc. is an official Main Street Program accredited by the Main Street Program of the
National Trust. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, headquartered in Washington D.C. provides
training and technical support for revitalization efforts and guidelines for the certified Main Street
Programs in nearly all 50 states.

Certification by the National Trust is a strenuous process which requires following all the Main Street
criteria, having a full-time staff person responsible for directing the program, a Board of Directors who
actively participate in the program, participation in Main Street training for staff on a quarterly basis,
committees working each of the Four Points, maintaining an adequate budget to facilitate all the
operations of the organization, and maintaining an office in the historic district.

The National Main Street philosophy emphasizes an incremental, long-term approach to revitalization
based on historic preservation and utilizing a community’s unique elements. It is a comprehensive
process that builds on the total image of the historic commercial district.

OUR MISSION

Our Mission, restated and approved by the Board of Directors in 2007, is to promote economic
development while fostering historic preservation. We will preserve downtown Clinton as a community
hub and we will focus our efforts to ensure downtown remains a major contributor to Clinton’s
economy. Using the Four-Point Approach, we are committed to making downtown Clinton a visible
symbol of community pride and be a good place to live, work, visit, shop, and invest.

OUR EXPERIENCE IN REVITALIZATION

Since 1989. Clinton Main Street has been instrumental in obtaining and administering downtown
improvement projects through grants and combinations of public and private funding. These include a
Community Development Block Grant (1996) in cooperation with the City of Clinton, and Neighborhood
Assistance Program projects in 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2005-07, in cooperation with the Missouri
Department of Economic Development. All of these projects were completed on time, and on budget.

Clinton Main Street is primarily funded by donations. The City of Clinton offers support although we
receive no funding from the county or state or federal government. Clinton Main Street is one of the
most successful Main Street programs in the state of Missouri, which has been accomplished by local
volunteers and local donations.

Clinton Main Street is responsible for coordinating all aspects of projects in the downtown district. With
one staff person, we organize more than ten promotional activities including Cruise Nights, Lighting
Celebration, and Christmas Parade; manage the upkeep and maintenance of the Dorman House and
all green spaces in the downtown district; research and apply for grants; provide staff support for the
committees that plan and implement the Main Street Four-Point Approach; and plan and implement
economic development for the downtown district through trainings and business retention and
recruitment.

Clinton Main Street Board of Directors plan for revitalization, promotions and advertising and keeps the
organizational structure healthy by fundraising and managing expenses. They develop and implement
work plans for each project which is then accomplished through the work of the committee for each
Point. Clinton Main Street's main objective is historic preservation and to revitalize the historic
downtown, and we do that through economic development efforts. Revitalization is an ongoing effort that
progresses in stages. It requires various partnerships among organizations and the efforts of many
community-minded volunteers.

OUR PARTNERS IN REVITALIZATION:

Clinton Main Street, Inc has working relationships with the City of Clinton, the State of Missouri
Department of Economic Development, the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office, the Clinton Area
Chamber of Commerce, the Clinton Tourism Association, the Henry County Historical Society, and the
Henry County Economic Development Council. Volunteer participation in Clinton Main Street
encompasses students, retired people, and everyone in between in the community, plus active
volunteer service among the downtown business owners and property owners.

Clinton Main Street also works closely with other Missouri Main Street communities to provide training
for the Main Street managers through the Missouri Main Street Connections. Networking with other
small towns that have similar revitalization issues is a valuable tool to share information about
problems and progress in revitalization.

Clinton Main Street has ardently supported Missouri Main Street Connections (MMSC) our state
organization that has fulfilled duties that would normally belong to a state coordinator since that position
has been vacant since 2003. Missouri has recently hired a state coordinator, Gayla Roten, who has
years of experience with the Missouri Main Street Program as a local manager and subsequently the
president of MMSC. Using the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) administered through the
State of Missouri's Department of Economic Development, Gayla will be employed by MMSC and will
administer the state program in much the same way if she were employed by the state. If you would like
to contact Gayla, her email is momainstreet@aol.com. Her office phone is 417-334-3014.

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS:

In addition to public improvements and façade renovations, Clinton Main Street's continuing effort has
included special events and festivals to bring more visitors and locals into downtown. The program
showcases downtown to a wide variety of potential visitors, introducing them to shopping, dining,
historic and cultural attractions and events that are unique to downtown Clinton.

Click Here for our Calendar of Events

EDUCATION & TRAINING:

Clinton Main Street, Inc. provides continuing education and training that prepares downtown
businesses and property owners to engage in strategic planning for economic growth, business
recruitment to create a diverse retail mix, care and maintenance of historic buildings, and the promotion
of downtown through marketing, advertising and special events. All of these efforts build a healthy
economic foundation for downtown businesses. The result is a vital downtown that increases property
values, creates jobs, offers retail diversity, presents an attractive ambiance, increases tourism
expenditures and enlarges the city’s sales tax revenue base.

Our relationship with Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC) enables us to take advantage of
extended education opportunities provided by MMSC. The next Basic Training workshop will be held
April 23-24 in Jefferson City. Contact the MMSC state office at 417-334-3014 for more details.