Press Release
Natchitoches, Louisiana, Receives Great American Main Street Award
New Orleans (June 6, 2006) – Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Doug Loescher, director of the National Trust Main Street Center®, today presented Natchitoches, Louisiana, a 2006 Great American Main Street Award for its successful efforts in revitalizing its historic commercial district through historic preservation. The award was presented during the 2006 National Main Streets Conference in New Orleans.
"The revitalization of Natchitoches is the direct result of the community's unified goal to re-establish its historic commercial district," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "Natchitoches has made great strides, not only by reclaiming its buildings and recruiting new businesses, but by promoting its downtown as the heart and soul of the community."
The oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase Territory, Natchitoches experienced an economic downturn in the 1970s when its building vacancy rate soared, tourism was at a standstill, and there was little effort to preserve historic properties. Concerned local leaders and citizens explored ways to strengthen Natchitoches’ economy while protecting its historic structures. The City of Natchitoches pursued and received National Historic Landmark District designation in 1984 and created the Historic District Commission that recommended establishing the Natchitoches Main Street program. In 1993, the Louisiana Main Street program designated Natchitoches as a Main Street community, and a year later, Congress created the Cane River National Heritage Area, which includes the Natchitoches Main Street.
From its inception, the city-funded Main Street program emphasized cultivating strong partnerships with preservation, economic development, and tourism organizations to gain broad-based support for its commercial district revitalization efforts. Natchitoches Main Street developed cooperative business development and recruitment initiatives geared toward potential and existing customers, businesses, and tourists. As a result, 80 new businesses have opened in the commercial district since 1993, and 210 net new jobs were created.
When faced with the challenge of creating a year-round customer base for its merchants, Natchitoches Main Street leveraged the commercial district’s historic assets—namely its architecture and its location in the Cane River Heritage Area—to address the problem. They developed a successful heritage tourism program with partners, created over a dozen special events throughout the year, and recruited a mix of businesses that would position Natchitoches as a niche market for weddings, honeymooners, and retirees. Today, Natchitoches attracts over 1 million visitors annually and is recognized by Where to Retire and Kiplinger magazine as a retiree-friendly community. Merchants report a dramatic increase in sales, which enables the City to reinvest the additional sales tax revenue in future revitalization projects. The commercial district building vacancy rate, once as high as 65 percent, is now only one percent.
Through the years, the Main Street program has worked with property
owners to secure funding and other assistance to encourage the renovation
of 35 building façades and eight historic buildings, including
the historic Nakatosh Hotel, which sat vacant for more than 30 years.
The Main Street revitalization partners pooled their funds to finance
the hotel’s restoration. Today, the building houses retail shops,
an art gallery, restaurants, and 20 upper-story housing units.
As a result of its commercial district revitalization efforts since 1993,
Natchitoches Main Street and its revitalization partners have leveraged
$15 million in public support into $48 million of private investment.
The forward-thinking Main Street program nurtures the next generation
of preservationists through an internship program with Northwestern State
University's graduate programs. It also organizes heritage education activities
for elementary and secondary school students and teachers with the Association
for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches and the National Center
for Preservation Technology and Training, which is headquartered in Natchitoches.
For more information about the National Trust’s Main Street Awards
program and 2006 GAMSA winners, visit www.mainstreet.org/awards
or contact mainstreet_awards@nthp.org
or (202) 588-6129.
For more information about Natchitoches' award-winning historic commercial district and revitalization efforts, contact Natchitoches Main Street/City of Natchitoches at chornsby@ci.natchitoches.la.us, phone (318) 238-7500 or online at www.cityofnatchitoches.net or http://www.ci.natchitoches.la.us/MainStreet/Default.htm.