1. How to Bring a Community
Together to Succeed!
South Carolina Festival & Event Association
January 21, 2013 – 9:30 am
Leah Ross Christina Blevins
Birthplace of Country Main Street, Bristol
Music® Executive Director
Executive Director Believe in Bristol 1

2. Mumford & Sons – Gentlemen of the
Road Stopover, Bristol VA/TN

3. Historic Downtown
Bristol
1930’s
Bristol’s central business district
was the place where everyone
bought their goods and services.
It served as the economic and
social focal points of our counties
and region. 3

4. Bristol TN/VA 1980’s –
YUCKIE!!
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5. WHAT HAPPENED to
Bristol???
What caused changes all across
America??
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6. What happened to America’s
Downtown Commercial District?
 Downtowns all over America
experienced severe decline in the 1960’s
and 70’s due to changes in:
• Development/Suburbanization
• Retail Practices and Trends
• Historic Commercial Buildings
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7. Bristol TN/VA 1960 – 1970’s
 Urban Renewal
– Loss of many historic buildings
 Bristol Mall
– Retail center divided
 Interstate 81 completed
– Traffic bypasses city center
 1977 Downtown Flood
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8. What Happened Continued…
 In many communities
downtown merchants and
property owners, tried to
halt this spiral of decline by
imitating their competition --
the shopping mall.
 Their attempts to modernize
downtown take the forms of
pedestrian malls, covering
traditional building fronts
with aluminum slipcovers,
and attaching huge,
oversized signs on their
buildings to attract attention.
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9. What Happened Continued…
 These well-meaning but usually ineffective
methods did not stabilize downtown's
decline, mostly because they did not
address the fundamental problem -- that
businesses did not change when the
market did, and that people did not see
the downtown as a destination for
shopping any more.
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10. The Beginning of The Main Street
Four-Point Approach
to Downtown Revitalization
 In 1977, the National Trust for
Historic Preservation launched
the Main Street Project.
 The Main Street Four Point
Approach is a community-
driven, comprehensive
strategy used to revitalize
older, traditional business
districts throughout the United
States. This program is based
on four points: Design,
Promotion, Economic
Restructuring and
Organization 10

11. DESIGN
Restoring physical value
 Improving the appearance of the commercial
district through preservation-based strategies
Benches,
Bike
Racks &
Planters.
Oh my!
Merchant
Store
Karen Hester’s Buildings Fronts
Before 625-627 State Street,
Bristol Virginia Heritage
House/Heritage Antiques
Lighting for
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Downtown – 1930’s

12. Examples of Before & After
B
e Now
f
o
r
e
D
u
r
i
n
g
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13. 507-509 State Street
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14. 623 State Street
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15. 505 State Street
B
e
f
o
r
e
&
A
f
t
e
r
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16. 16-20 6th Street
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17. PROMOTION
Restoring social value
 Bringing people back to the community center by
improving the district’s image & marketing its
unique assets
Farmer’s Market
at the Downtown
Center
Border Bash Holiday
Summer Concert Open
Series! House
Bristol Rhythm & Roots 17
Reunion

18. Bristol has cultivated an arts
community impacting the
theatrical, literary, culinary,
performing and visual arts.
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19. •Theatre Bristol
•Bristol Ballet
•Art in Public Places
•The Paramount Center
•One of a Kind Gallery
•BCM / Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion
•606 State Street Gallery
•Bristol Public Library
•Southeastern Culinary and Hospitality College
•blowfish emporium
•Cameo Theatre
•Kil’n Time Pottery
•Bristol’s Busk Stops
•The Caterpillar Crawl
•The Country Music Mural
•Benjamin Walls Gallery
•Bridgeforth Design Studio
It may seem hard to believe, but all of these art
and entertainment venues reside right in 4 square
blocks of Downtown Bristol. 19

20. Moving forward…
 Cultural Tourism
– Arts & Entertainment District – BIB
– Heartwood – State of VA
– Crooked Road – State of VA
– Pick Bristol / Move to Bristol Program- CVB
– Round the Mountain – State of VA
– Sunny Side Trail – State of TN
– BCM Museum in conjunction with The Smithsonian!
– SO MUCH MORE!!!!
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21. ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING
Restoring economic value
 Repositioning the district’s economy through
market-driven business retention & development
strategies
Mark Canty – Eatz on Moore Street.
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22. Economic Restructuring
 This is accomplished by retaining and expanding
successful businesses to provide a balanced
commercial mix, sharpening the competitiveness
and merchandising skills of business owners,
and attracting new businesses that the market
can support.
 Converting unused or underused commercial
space into economically productive property
also helps boost the profitability of the district.
The goal is to build a commercial district that
responds to the needs of today's consumers.
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23. IdeaSpace!
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24. Example: Macado’s, Bristol TN
 Old Sears Building
 No Historical Integrity
 New In-Fill to look like
Macado’s has been
here for ever
 Parking lot in back
 Great addition to
downtown – City took
a blighted property &
made it profitable.
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25. Why would you want to live in a loft
downtown?
 Unique/Creative Puts you in the mix!
 Open Living Arts/Entertainment/
 Low Maintenance Cultural/Diversity
 History and Dinning/Nightlife
architecture
Retail/Specialty Shops 25

26. ORGANIZATION
Restoring political value
 Building strong, broad-based community support
for our commercial district
Believe in Bristol, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization
whose mission is to hold in trust Bristol’s dreams
and help bring them to reality by implementing the
Main Street Four-Point Approach to Commercial
District Revitalization.
Revitalization Partners include:
Bankers; Property Owners; Local Government; Merchants; Downtown Residents;
Professionals; Chamber of Commerce Representatives; Local Industries; Civic
Groups; Historical Societies; Schools; Consumers; Real Estate Agents; and Local
Media.
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27. Top 10 Reasons to Revitalize
Downtown Commercial Districts
1) Commercial Districts are prominent employment centers.
2) Downtown represents a significant portion of the community’s tax base.
3) Most businesses within the commercial district are independently owned.
4) A vital Downtown area reduces sprawl by concentrating retail in one area and uses
community resources wisely.
5) A historic commercial district is often a major tourist attraction.
6) A healthy Downtown core protects property values in surrounding residential
neighborhoods.
7) The commercial district is a reflection of community image, pride and prosperity.
8) Downtown is the historic core of the community.
9) The commercial district represents a huge public and private investment.
10) Downtown provides an important civic forum, where members of the community
can congregate…Parades, special events and celebrations held on State Street
reinforce an intangible sense of community.
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28. Local – Community Driven

29. 12th Annual BRRR!
•Attendance was the best
ever!
•11% increase – 50,000
•784 different artists / 180
bands
•701 runners / walkers in 5K
Road Race
• Recycling – vending
requirement, participating
students from environmental
clubs local high schools and
Ball Corporation did all the
beer garden recycling.
Photo Credits : VI College

30. What do we do to get ready?
 Planning, Planning, Planning!
 Merchant, Property Owner & Resident Meetings
 Rock N Stroll Window Decorating Contest
 Parking Solutions – Shuttles
 Phone App. For Android and iPhones
 Children’s Day Promotions
 Chili –Cook off
 5 K run 2mile walk Road Race

31. Mumford & Sons – Gentlemen of the Road
Stopover, Bristol VA/TN
•Merchant, Property
Owner & Resident
Meetings
•Individual Merchant
Visits
•Promotional Pamphlet
•Press Conference –
Countdown
•E-News, Newspaper,
Radio, Banners
•Event Volunteers
•Partnerships
•VTC Partnership
•AC Entertainment
•Mumford CREW

32. Statistics for Bristol
Since 2006 (Start of TN Main Street)
Public Investment - $8,523,208.85
Private Investment - $11,070,010.16
Total - $19,593,219.01
New Jobs – 83
New Lofts - 41
New & Sustaining Businesses – 29
Volunteer Hours – 13,977!!!

33. What’s Next for Bristol?
Birthplace of Country Music Museum– Smithsonian Affiliate
Boutique Hotel
Parking Structure
Continued promotion of our unique history / BRRR
Continued promotion of A & E District
Idea Space & Visitors Center
More life, shops and community pride/spirit

34. In
Summary:
Leveraging regional
opportunities & assets
Operate
underfunding
mechanisms‘ with
State, Federal & Local
Partnerships
Its all about
TEAMWORK!
Comprehensive
Ever-changing
Stay POSITIVE!

35. Work hard, Play hard!

36. pic
Events
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37. Thank You & Questions!
Leah Ross
Christina Blevins
Birthplace of Country Music® Believe in Bristol
Executive Director Main Street Executive Director
416 A State Street, Bristol, TN 36 Moore Street, Bristol, VA
423-573-4898 276-644-9700
leah@bristolrhythm.com cblevins@believeinbristol.org
www.bristolrhythm.com www.believeinbristol.org
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