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In remembrance and in honor of Dr. Marin Luther King Jr., over 900 streets in the United States were named after him. Most of the streets, including the one in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were renamed in the first 25 years after Dr. King’s death. To this day, there are many opinions and stereotypes of MLK streets nationally. Many are located predominantly in African American communities. Many have a stigma of being blighted and experiencing disinvestment. Many are perceived as being crime ridden, particularly if the street has abandoned or unimproved buildings.
These stereotypes reveal why an effective business case has not been made for investing in streets named after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As a result, these streets are not flourishing uniformly. If a case is not made, streets named after Dr. King may fail to become vibrant components of neighborhoods. That’s why I’ll explore how Main Street programs can support these important historic districts, using the Historic King Drive Business Improvement District (BID) #8 in Milwaukee as an example.
On February 9, 2021, Dr. King’s legacy was further cemented into Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The street bearing his name, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, was extended into the central business district through an ordinance authored by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs that was unanimously supported by the Milwaukee Common Council. The name change from Old World Third Street to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive is among the positive news celebrated in the King Drive Main Street. It comes at a time that the city is working on many fronts toward racial equity and inclusion.
The recent renaming in Milwaukee is important because it addresses a legacy of racist undertones in the initial renaming. An ordinance to rename Third Street after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive was first approved on November 13, 1984. Opposition from business and properties owners, however, led to a second ordinance to instead rename a portion of Third Street to Old World Third Street. The group opposing the renaming indicated high costs to change stationary, and the potential for harming the street’s status as a tourist attraction as reasons why they were objecting Community sentiment was that this opposition was rooted in racism. When both ordinances passed, a vibrant African American business district north of downtown became disconnected from the central business district.
Lack of investment by property owners, lack of dedicated funding from local government agencies, and lack of interest from the investment community are among reasons some streets bearing Dr. King’s name are not thriving. In Milwaukee, Historic King Drive Business Improvement District #8 leads efforts to spur revitalization in the National Main Street Center’s King Drive UrbanMain district. Business recruitment and retention, supporting small businesses, assisting property owners, and maintaining a clean and graffiti-free street are among its highest priorities. The business improvement district led efforts to attract many small businesses and large organizations to locate within its geographic boundaries.
One of its most important partnerships is the ThriveOn Collaboration, a partnership of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation (GMF), the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), and Royal Capital Group (RCG). Through their overall collaboration, MCW, GMF and RCG will bring complementary expertise on a range of strategies to invest in the health, equity, and economic well-being of people across Milwaukee, beginning with the neighborhoods adjacent to the new development. ThriveOn King is the Collaboration’s $100 million catalytic redevelopment of a historic Gimbel’s-Schuster department store. The redevelopment will include new offices, community space, and housing on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Bader Philanthropies, Inc. is another important partner in the BID’s effort to revitalize King Drive in Milwaukee. The philanthropic organization relocated its headquarters from the central business district to 3300 North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. An investment of $12 million added square footage and a renovation to a historic building. In early 2021, Bader is completing a second project estimated at $4.8 million that includes a renovation and space addition to a building that will house Sam’s Place eatery and café and Shalem Healing, a nonprofit medical clinic.
Dohmen Corporation Foundation announced on December 10, 2020 its purchase of the historic Fein Brothers building and plans to move its offices and programs to King Drive. Dohmen will bring to King Drive its 162-year history and its Food For Health program, designed to use medically-tailored meals to reverse chronic disease. Successful MLK street revitalization needs partners and projects like these to send a signal to the market that now is the time to invest in our communities of color.
There are important assumptions we can make about urban neighborhoods, particularly where many of these MLK streets exist. The first assumption is urban neighborhoods are important to the fabric of cities. The second assumption is that communities where people of color live have the potential to be as vibrant as communities that are not populated by people of color. The third assumption is that regardless of race, gender-identity, or economic status, every human being deserves an opportunity to live in a vibrant, safe community where career opportunities exist. There are no locations more important where these assumptions should be proven than on streets named after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
When considering MLK streets, similarities in Milwaukee’s peer cities reveal:
Gentrification may impact MLK street revitalization. Gentrification is the process of neighborhood-based changes that introduce an influx of middle- and upper-class residents into urban areas that once housed low-income and working-class populations. In communities of color, gentrification often equates to displacement of residents. In Milwaukee, anti-displacement planning has resulted in an action plan and recommendations that prioritize equity alongside traditional development goals. Some of the partners named here helped to fund the anti-displacement fund created by MKE United.
Diverse capital sources are drivers for MLK street revitalization. Funding from government sources, philanthropy, banks, and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) are needed to spur revitalization efforts on MLK streets. Historic tax credits (HTC) and low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) have been combined to improve commercial corridors and the quality of life of its residents. Funds through organizations like BID #8 and the City of Milwaukee are tailored to incentivize interior and exterior building improvements, street improvements, and beautification (i.e., benches, planters, trash receptacles).
Business sustainability planning aids in successful MLK street revitalization. Technical assistance for entrepreneurs, job creation grants, signage, and business retention tools are vital to successful revitalization planning. Through a partnership with North Shore Bank and BID #8, businesses can access a $10,000 loan with 2 percent interest through Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation. Through a Chase Bank grant for Brew City Match, BID #8 and Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) Milwaukee issued over $35,000 to businesses for rent assistance and staffing costs at the beginning of the pandemic. BID #8 also launched King Drive Cash Mob to promote businesses and drive support to them. The Chris Abele Legacy Co-Working and Innovation Space on King drive provides workspace on King Drive for entrepreneurs and a shared commercial kitchen.
Accessibility and road improvements can elevate MLK street experiences. The needs of pedestrians must be balanced with the desire to move people through commercial districts. Accommodations should be made for seniors and individuals with disabilities, and those using multi-modal transportation. Parking availability and traffic mitigation measures must be implemented to ensure the safety of those traveling through MLK Streets. Complete Streets focus on road design changes that can better accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and mass transit. On King Drive, for example, a “road diet” is being implemented to reduce traffic lanes, add bike lanes, and make the street safer and better for commercial revitalization. BID #8 has also prioritized streetscape planning in 2021 to accent the road diet.
Spreading positive news about economic development activity on MLK streets may help overcome a stigma of crime and blight. Stories in local media publications and regular posting of those stories on social media can contribute to changing the narrative of MLK streets. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts have been used by BID #8 to increase visibility and community support for King Drive’s revitalization. Networking opportunities and events for business owners, Main Street committees, and ongoing resident engagements are helping drive successful MLK street revitalization.
Historic King Drive BID #8’s goal to build the best King Drive is in process. Small victories are, however, combining to paint a picture of what a bright future looks like. Collaborations, community conversations, diverse funding sources, and a clear vision with milestones are required. Streets named after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deserve to honor his legacy. Let us do the hard work in our communities to make King streets the most vibrant they can be.
Music has a unifying power to bring people of all generations, backgrounds, and cultures together for creative expression. Let’s explore how accessible, family-friendly music experiences can strengthen Main Streets across America to build stronger communities, one concert at a time!
Main Street America is pleased to announce the launch of a $1.8 million sub-grant program as part of our partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Thriving Communities Program.
Beloit, Kansas © Shane Hampton
Construction projects can put a lot of stress on your downtown. From preparation to completion, Brooke Prouty at Iowa Economic Development Authority shares best practices to help your Main Street thrive during construction.
Creating real change in business ownership starts with local communities leading the way, backed by strong partnerships and collaborations.
At the heart of thriving Main Streets are vibrant public spaces that unite people of all ages and backgrounds and enrich community life. And what better way to activate public spaces than through the power of free, live music?
Middlesboro, Kentucky © Levitt Foundation
Learn how Main Streets can tap into federal resources to improve transportation infrastructure, take down barriers, and improve access to key services.
Main Street America is proud to announce the release of a new resource to help Main Streets and commercial district organizations better prepare for and respond to more frequent and severe disasters.
Marion, IA © Uptown Marion
This Boston Main Street installed an innovative street mural to highlight crosswalks and improve pedestrian safety.
These seven Main Streets have implemented innovative, exciting, and fun programs to help welcome dogs to their downtowns.
MSA President and CEO Erin Barnes explores how a holiday market in a public park brought a new focus on growing humanitarian needs in downtown city centers.
The RAISE program funds surface transportation projects with local and regional impact by enhancing safety, mobility, sustainability, and economic growth.
Streetscape improvements can make a big difference for Main Streets. © Grant Harper
Learn how Main Street America's work with the DOT's Thriving Communities Program is supporting transformative efforts with community partners like the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
Apply for federal funding to remove, retrofit, or mitigate transportation infrastructure that creates barriers to community connectivity.
Art is a powerful tool for community change. Learn how the arts can improve community engagement, boost economic development, and connect with the Main Street Approach.
Streets play an important role in our downtown districts. Learn more about Main Street America's recent work with the Department of Transportation to promote vibrant and sustainable downtown roadways.
Learn how the Safe Streets and Roads for All program is providing grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.
Streetscape in Denison, Texas. © Mel Climer — Climer Design
REV Birmingham and Woodlawn United share how they work to reenergize spaces and places in Birmingham, Alabama, through civic infrastructure projects in the city’s historic commercial corridors.
Learn how this Louisiana town has used an accessibility-first approach to build a welcoming and inclusive community.
Downtown Ruston, Louisiana. Photo by Henry McCoy.
Learn how the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta uses this unique mural program to celebrate Valentine's Day and raise important funding for their work.
Learn how micromobility can increase access, equity, and inclusion in your Main Street with examples from local programs across the network.
This Washington Main Street is encouraging people to brave the rainy weather with their free umbrella share program.
Parking is a challenging problem for many Main Streets. We explored the arguments for and against free parking, and a method for conducting an inventory of parking in your downtown.
Miami, FL © Matt Alaniz
Learn how Bainbridge Island Downtown Association leverages their connection to the ferry to create a walkable and vibrant downtown.
Bainbridge Island, WA © Anna Carson
An innovative artistic project brings new life to the alleyways in Billings, Montana.
Billings, MT © Downtown Billings Alliance
In big cities and small towns, people face increasing danger when navigating communities on foot. As advocates for connected and walkable downtowns, Main Streets have a crucial role to play in increasing pedestrian safety.
Lansing, Michigan © Lansing 5:01
Learn how you can participate in the Thriving Communities program as a capacity builder or how you can receive support from the program.
To celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month, we explored three innovative and interesting parks-based projects and collaborations in Main Street communities.
Waterloo, Iowa, shares advice and lessons learned from their e-scooter program.
Learn how you can harness design principles and strategies to create a cooler, more welcoming downtown.
Main Street America was awarded $5.9 million to support 20 communities in the Main Streets Community of Practice through the Department of Transportation's Thriving Communities Program over the next two years.
The City of Leeds, AL welcomed a new downtown mural over the holidays that has brought a sense of excitement and anticipation for the continuing efforts to focus on the Leeds downtown district.
Leeds, AL © Jeremy Dove
What is more Iowan than turning grain bins into public art? Learn how Main Street Coon Rapids created these beautiful murals to celebrate their downtown.
Coon Rapids, IA © Main Street Coon Rapids
Pollinator gardens are fantastic ways to increase green space, promote sustainability, and educate your community on the local environment.
Crofton, MD © Kerry Kelly
The AARP Community Challenge program gives out quick-action grants to activate public spaces. Meet some of the Main Streets awarded grants through the program this year.
Learn how these outdoor microspaces can contribute to more vibrancy in our public spaces.
Chairman Emeritus Ed McMahon explores the power of place in creating spaces people love.
Boise, ID © christiannafzger
To support Georgia Main Streets throughout the recovery process and position them for long-term sustainability, Main Street America launched the Georgia Main Street Innovation Grant Program, made possible through generous support from The Williams Family Foundation of Georgia.
Thomasville, GA © Thomasville Main Street
Intentional placemaking has had many unexpected benefits for this Alabama town.
Wetumpka, AL © Jenny Sue Stubbs
We heard from organizations across the nation about the incredible impact their markets have had on community engagement, entrepreneur and small business support, and keeping their district vibrant.
Mount Airy Downtown, Inc., celebrated the return of their Market Street Arts and Entertainment District (MSA & ED) last weekend, as part of their pandemic recovery efforts.
Mount Airy, NC © Robbie Curlee
A vacant storefront is the perfect stage to creatively promote the available space or to showcase other businesses and events in the area.
Ripon, WI © RetailWorks, Inc
Interested in creating a StoryWalk in your downtown commercial district? Read on to learn more about installing a successful story walking trail.
Dubbed the Blues Alley, the Ripley Main Street program plans to install murals of local pioneering Black blues artists, cutout guitars painted by local art students, and blues lyrics painted on the walls.
Ripley, MS © Ripley Main Street
Wayfinding guides people to places they seek but it also brings awareness to places they may have otherwise missed.
Since 2013, Try This West Virginia has sought to improve health environments in local communities as a collaboration of organizations working together to combat the health challenges facing West Virginians.
Main Street America partnered with OneMain Financial to create Made on Main Street.
Creating a historic or art walking tour is much more than simply a collection of pictures and descriptions.
Over 300 attendees enjoyed a family-friendly block party that celebrated the community and showcased Prosser's upcoming streetscape improvement project.
Cambridge was the first Main Street community in Maryland to install public chargers.
The Downtown Newton Development Association (North Carolina) partnered with the City of Newton on a temporary tactical urbanism project to demonstrate how their permanent streetscape improvements will benefit downtown.
Over 500 people braved the misty rain this past weekend to come and celebrate Painesville and its Made on Main Street community transformation project.
Wilson Artsy Alleys is an initiative of the Wilson Downtown Development Corporation which takes the arts to new locations in forgotten places.
In October 2017, Main Street Ottumwa collaborated with local partners, Main Street Iowa, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Better Block Foundation to stop planning, talking, and wishing, and start doing.
Kelly Tompkins of Main Street Enid shares more about the Maker Trail project and how it inspired creativity and helped people discover downtown.
The Metuchen Downtown Alliance created a cool, family-friendly public gathering space in “the worst looking spot in town” with the help of just $2,500 in Edward Jones Placemaking on Main Challenge matching grant funds,
A collaborative effort launched between Laramie Main Street Alliance (LMSA) and vertical farming company, Plenty, looked to blank downtown walls as a canvas for growing food, creating conversation, and activating overlooked spaces.
From walkability and transportation connectivity, to access to nature and availability of fresh food, place is inextricably linked to achieving positive health outcomes in rural America.
Beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower fountain through Main Street Paris's new Love Lock Fence.
Kasey Drummond, Glenrock Main Street Director, explains how they brought the acclaimed graffiti artist ARCY to their Main Street and explores the work he produced in three additional Wyoming communities on his summer tour.
Karen Dye, Newkirk Main Street's program manager, was inspired to “make downtown more fun and festive” with painted water meter covers after learning about the practice at a recent Main Street Now conference.
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
In contrast, the Main Street Program in Laramie, Wyoming, is thriving, having successfully cultivated millions of dollars to help fill these vacant, blighted spaces with permanent structures.
In this article we’ll explore the process of planning, funding, installing, operating, and enjoying music on your Main Street.
In 2016, the North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center partnered with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Department of Interior Architecture (UNCG) to provide design assistance to Main Street communities.
Placemaking is a strategy that Six Corners Association has enthusiastically applied to our community development efforts because of its seamless integration with the Main Street Approach.
How one Wyoming Main Street implemented a free bike share program.
In 2015, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) partnered with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to engage Wisconsin Main Street organizations and farmers markets in the Metrics and Indicators for Impact – Farmers Markets (MIFI-FM) toolkit.
The local Main Street organization, Downtown Milford Inc., is trying to address these shifting demographics by creating a more inclusive sense of community.
This is the story of how a National Endowment for the Arts gathering in DC inspired the leaders of a small town in Appalachia to connect with those in Milwaukee to transform a neglected park.
Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
This article is the second in a series on corridors and the important role they play in Main Street revitalization. The previous article focused on the historic origins of corridors, corridor types, and functions that they serve in our communities.
Façade appearance is a critical aspect of the overall aesthetic appeal and unique character of downtown.
While the Main Street program may not take the lead in corridor enhancements, it can be a vital partner and advocate for improvements in overall community appearance.
Street pole banners preserve the historic character of main streets while fostering community awareness and engagement.
With strong community support, the Library Foundation was able to raise over $1.2 million dollars in private donations.
A lot of signs are necessary to make a downtown work well, but not every community knows what a good sign system looks like, or how instrumental it can be to the creation of a successful downtown.
A key goal of the Atlanta Streetcar is to attract investment to and revitalize the neighborhoods along the streetcar alignment.
