In November 2007,  Hancock County was designated as an “Main Street Community.”  We’re proud to be one of the first county communities in the state to be accepted in the Mississippi Main Street Association.

The state Main Street Association is part of a national program set up to assist in development and enhancement of downtown areas in cities and towns.  The Hancock County program will focus on the downtown areas of Bay St. Louis and Waveland and the corridors that serve as gateways - such as Highways 603 and 90.

The Hancock Chamber. working together with area merchant organizations - Mayor Favre and the City Council of Bay St. Louis, Mayor Longo and the City Aldermen of Waveland - advanced the application process through the Hancock County Community Development Foundation (HCDF).  HCDF is a nonprofit organization formed in 2006 by the Hancock Chamber to support economic and community rebuilding in the county.

“The announcement of this program is significant as we work in partnership with government to rebuild our two sister cities,” states Guy Johnson, president of the Hancock Chamber and a member of the Foundation board.

“The Main Street Program offers many advantages and opportunities,” says Tish Williams, Executive Director of the Hancock Chamber & Foundation.  “While they usually accept single municipalities, in our case we have joined as one community.  Becoming part of this vital association will help us provide assistance and promotion for the entire county.”

Local leaders meet to discuss local coordination of the Main Street Program

The national Main Street program is managed by the National Trust.  It utilizes a “Four Point Approach” as a strategy for success in community-based revitalization efforts.   The four elements of Design, Economic Restructuring, Promotion and Organization are combined to address each commercial district’s needs.

According to the program’s website:

• Organization involves getting everyone working toward the same goal… to implement a Main Street revitalization program.

• Promotion sells a positive image of the commercial district and encourages consumers and investors to live, work, shop, play and invest in the Main Street district. 

• Design means getting Main Street into top physical shape. Capitalizing on its best assets… conveys a positive visual message about the commercial district and what it has to offer.

• Economic Restructuring strengthens a community's existing economic assets while expanding and diversifying its economic base.

The program is a common-sense way to address the variety of issues and problems that face traditional business districts.  The underlying premise of the Main Street approach is to encourage economic development within the context of historic preservation in ways appropriate to today's marketplace.

Williams says that different elements of the program will apply to needs of specific Hancock County areas.   For instance, “The Design part of the program,” she said,  “will be especially important to the Coleman Avenue area in Waveland as it rebuilds.  Promotion is a critical aspect to the existing Old Town and Depot District areas.  The program offers a variety of resources that will prove especially valuable to the County in our recovery efforts.”

Over the next five years, the Cities of Bay St. Louis and Waveland will implement more than $100 million in projects for downtown revitalization.  Priorities for these developments include:  

• Replacing infrastructure

• Encouraging growth that is sustainable over the long-term

• Attracting tourists to the area to support area businesses; 

• Maintaining characteristics that make Bay St. Louis & Waveland unique. 

The Main Street Program will work in tandem with local governments and organizations to coordinate and assist in this revitalization effort.

The Chamber’s Community Development Committee, chaired by Ron Magee, will serve as the steering committee to begin formation of the program. If you are interested in becoming part of the Main Street Steering Committee, contact the Chamber Office at 228-467-9048.