The revitalization of Butler’s Main Street may come from a joint effort from the Butler County Chamber of Commerce and Butler Downtown to pursue Main Street Matters designation from the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development.

The Main Street Approach asks community development organizations to advance toward revitalization through four main areas: economic vitality, design, promotion and organization. Safe, clean and green is a fifth area that is not required but often included.

Economic vitality leans heavily on business development and retention. Design focuses on physical improvements in the central business district and historic preservation. Promotion works to market the business district’s unique identity. Organization is an effort to build financial sustainability and reliable partnerships. Safe, clean and green works to beautify downtown areas while promoting safety.

This is a great move for Butler because it’s a pathway toward economic development that has been repeatedly tested and stood the test of time since the 1980s nationally and through the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. In 2024, Gov. Josh Shapiro launched Main Street Matters through the DCED.

In Butler, Fourth Economy Consultants of Pittsburgh was hired to guide the community through the extensive Main Street designation application process.

Throughout this work, city residents will be asked what they hope for in a revitalized downtown Butler. There will be surveys asking what is currently working that residents want to see more of, what isn’t working that they want to get rid of and, potentially, what new things they’d like to see.

The consultants will work with groups of residents to determine what the main goals for Butler’s future should be and, based on the survey results, what types of projects community organizations and volunteers should take on to reach those goals. The goals will fall under each of the four to five areas under the Main Street Approach. The consultants will present everything in the application’s five-year strategy to achieve those goals.

The best aspect of the Main Street Approach for communities is the goals and the projects. The entire strategy is built on what the residents and business owners want to see. From the ground up, the Main Street framework asks organizers to build a better tomorrow for everyone who has an interest in the outcome.

This is the time to start watching for the opportunities to participate as they start coming. Residents and business owners who want a say in what the future holds in this city should pay attention as steering committees are formed, surveys are distributed and feedback is requested.

Attend public information sessions when they’re held. Answer questions when they’re asked. Ask questions when given the chance.

DCED Main Street designation comes with funding to get a program off the ground, to hire a Main Street manager and to level up a community development program. But more than anything else, the process of creating the application and the five-year strategy will provide a road map toward a better Butler — with your help.

For more information on the Main Street Matters program, visit dced.pa.gov.

— KL