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  • CONTRIBUTE
    • Business Sponsorship
    • Volunteer
  • MORE
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    • Revitalization Efforts
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2021 Transformation Strategy

Prepared by Beth Sharpe, TMS Executive Director

WHO WE ARE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Tappahannock Main Street (TMS) is a community catalyst creating a vibrant future for a diverse, historic Tappahannock, attracting residents, visitors and businesses to our river town.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Executive Officers

President - John Harvey

Vice President - Wright Andrews 

Treasurer - Tim Smith

Secretary - Elizabeth Russell

Past President - Mavora Donoghue

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jim Acors

Bernadette Barclay

Connie Bermudez

Kay Carlton

Travis Harris

Rob Hodges

Lorraine Justice

Jovita Kelly

Anita Latane

Lori Lenz

Dana Smook

Meredith Trible

THE APPROACH

TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tappahannock Main Street has adopted and adapted the Main Street America’s 4-Point Approach and transformation strategies to maximize efforts in the community. The organization has identified three overarching transformation strategies to steer efforts in a unified manner, and all four committees are governed by their own guiding principles.

THE APPROACH

TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY

TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY

DESIGN 

To foster revitalization, historic preservation, and beautification efforts in downtown. 


ECONOMIC VITALITY

To be an effective advocate for overall economic development activities. 


ORGANIZATION

To provide support to the organization's operations. 


PROMOTION 

Marketing: Enhance the public's understanding of the value of Main Street’s work. Events: Offer diverse and compelling initiatives to draw people downtown.

TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY

TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY

TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY

A transformation strategy is a comprehensive strategy that guides the direction of the revitalization initiatives and, over time, transforms the community. An effective transformation strategy serves a particular customer segment, responds to an underserved market demand, or creates a differentiated destination. Using the results of the 2019 community visioning sessions, Tappahannock Main Street has adopted the following three transformation strategies.

OUR STRATEGIES

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY ONE: Foundation Building

PLAN OF ACTION

  • FOUNDATION BUILDING
  • ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
  • BUSINESS ACTIVATION AND DEVELOPMENT

PLAN OF ACTION

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY ONE: Foundation Building

PLAN OF ACTION

SUMMARY: The four committees will complete a number of objectives under each of the three transformation strategies to support the vision of a vibrant downtown community. 


The committees will create individual work plans for each objective by assigning roles, tasks, and timelines. 


The committees have also identified potential partners and plan to collaborate with other organizations as well as citizens in as many objectives as possible. 


Once all objectives are completed the organization will choose two new overarching transformation strategies based on the state of the district and a new community visioning session.

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY ONE: Foundation Building

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY ONE: Foundation Building

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY ONE: Foundation Building

SUMMARY: This strategy focuses on board development, relationship building, work plan development, and laying the foundation for programs upon which the organization can build and develop further over the coming years.

FOUNDATION BUILDING: Design

FOUNDATION BUILDING: Economic Vitality

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY ONE: Foundation Building

  • Create and conduct a structural assessment of all commercial zoned buildings. 
  • Solicit community input on downtown appearances, suggestions, and future development. 
  • Inventory public outdoor spaces and identify future locations for new ones and where existing spaces could be enhanced. 
  • Identify pedestrian friendly areas and those needing improvement.

FOUNDATION BUILDING: Economic Vitality

FOUNDATION BUILDING: Economic Vitality

FOUNDATION BUILDING: Economic Vitality

  • Create a comprehensive business and building directory. 
  • Conduct market studies to determine the economic climate downtown. 
  • Identify state and local resources and incentives available for businesses. 
  • Host a merchants' meeting to assess the current needs of downtown. 
  • Attend all Economic Development Authority Meetings.

FOUNDATION BUILDING: Organization

FOUNDATION BUILDING: Economic Vitality

FOUNDATION BUILDING: Economic Vitality

  • Create and adopt bylaws. 
  • Ensure all Board and staff members complete all VA Main Street trainings. 
  • Develop a comprehensive funding strategy. 
  • Develop Board Member handbook. 
  • Develop volunteer recruitment, education, and recognition programs.

FOUNDATION BUILDING: Promotion

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY TWO: Arts and Entertainment

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY TWO: Arts and Entertainment

  • Create a comprehensive marketing and communication plan for the organization’s mission, fundraising and events. 
  • Develop a yearly marketing budget to include the needs of all four committees. 
  • Launch and maintain a functional and appealing website. 
  • Acquire leadership for the Farmers' Market.

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY TWO: Arts and Entertainment

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY TWO: Arts and Entertainment

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY TWO: Arts and Entertainment

SUMMARY: This strategy focuses on bringing a diverse collection of arts and entertainment opportunities to the downtown.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Design

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY TWO: Arts and Entertainment

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Economic Vitality

  • Utilize arts and local artists to transform underutilized surfaces (i.e. pump stations, sidewalks, trashcans, etc.) 
  • Design and implement one community-wide art project. 
  • Complete two mural projects. 
  • Enhance one public outdoor space to better serve the event needs of community events.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Economic Vitality

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Economic Vitality

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Economic Vitality

  • Recruit and incentivize niche businesses and industries. 
  • Utilize vacant store fronts to host pop-up shops for artisans and makers. 
  • Assist in the growth and consistency of the Art Guild's en Plein air painting event. 
  • Identify and implement one entertainment-based economic driver in downtown.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Organization

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Economic Vitality

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Organization

  • Identify and implement unique fundraising elements of promotional events.
  • Establish partnerships with local arts organizations. 
  • Collaborate with the Essex County Museum on regular educational entertainment events.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Promotion

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Economic Vitality

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Organization

  • Create and manage a comprehensive community calendar of events. 
  • Develop one new ongoing monthly event. 
  • Establish quarterly signature fundraising events. 
  • Maintain a community-engaging social media presence.

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY THREE: Business Activation and Development

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY THREE: Business Activation and Development

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY THREE: Business Activation and Development

SUMMARY: This strategy focuses on activating currently vacant sectors of the downtown and supporting the growth of established and new businesses, and the physical development of the district.

BUSINESS ACTIVATION AND DEVELOPMENT: Design

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY THREE: Business Activation and Development

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY THREE: Business Activation and Development

  • Coordinate and lead quarterly downtown cleanup initiatives.
  • Support current Town and County facade programs. 
  • Utilize VA Main Street design services to assist business and property owners. 
  • Develop an ongoing and extensive photographic record of physical development. 
  • Develop a wayfinding signage program to highlight businesses, amenities and historic interests downtown.

BUSINESS ACTIVATION AND DEVELOPMENT: Economic Vitality

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY THREE: Business Activation and Development

BUSINESS ACTIVATION AND DEVELOPMENT: Economic Vitality

  • Develop a zero interest revolving loan fund for business and property owners. 
  • Create a downtown investment guide to encourage business growth. 
  • Offer small business workshops geared towards existing businesses to enhance profit and productivity. 
  • Lead a community business launch or incubator to assist in business start-ups.

BUSINESS ACTIVATION AND DEVELOPMENT: Organization

BUSINESS ACTIVATION AND DEVELOPMENT: Organization

BUSINESS ACTIVATION AND DEVELOPMENT: Economic Vitality

  • Develop relationship with Planning Commission and Zoning Board to stay up-to-date on developments. 
  • Engage downtown business and property owners and other community stakeholders and encourage their participation on the TMS Board. 
  • Establish a downtown dollars program to support local reinvestment.

BUSINESS ACTIVATION AND DEVELOPMENT: Promotion

BUSINESS ACTIVATION AND DEVELOPMENT: Organization

BUSINESS ACTIVATION AND DEVELOPMENT: Promotion

  • Develop a regular newsletter for business owners and community stakeholders. 
  • Host a Small Business Saturday event and regular shop local campaigns. 
  • Create and implement quarterly retail, restaurant, and service-based promotional events.

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