INDIANAPOLIS – On Friday, September 22, the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) in partnership with the North Liberty Main Street Merchants Association, will host the third in a series of community exchanges aimed at bringing together Indiana Main Street organizations, community leaders and planners, downtown groups, and economic development professionals.
The purpose of the community exchanges are to allow Indiana Main Street communities and other local professionals to network and learn from one another; giving communities an opportunity to discuss issues they face, ways others have resolved some of those issues, and innovative steps communities are taking to address the needs of their organizations, community, and downtowns.
This networking session will be held at the North Liberty United Methodist Church, 103 South Main Street, North Liberty, IN 46554 and begin at 9:00 a.m. The $30 registration fee includes lunch and all materials. Attendees can expect to hear from several guest speakers, have an opportunity to explore downtown North Liberty, and network with those in attendance.
The agenda is full of guest speakers as well as representatives from OCRA. The topics covered include:
- Adaptive re-use for older downtown buildings
- Importance of historic buildings
- Unique marketing ideas for your downtown
Attendees do not need to be an Indiana Main Street organization participant or staff member to attend. This exchange will provide information useful to community leaders and planners as well as economic development professionals. No two community exchanges are alike so as to encourage attendance at more than one event.
For further information and to find the registration form, visit www.in.gov/ocra/2506. A schedule for upcoming community exchanges can be found here. Please email Sue Solmos, North Liberty Main Street Merchants Association, at suesolmos@outlook.com if you prefer to register by phone.
For more information on the 2017 Indiana Main Street Community Exchanges, visit the IMS Education & Training webpage for dates and location information.
About the Indiana Main Street Program:
Indiana Main Street encourages economic development, redevelopment, and improvement of downtown areas of Indiana’s cities and towns. The program is founded on community economic development principles that emphasize preservation and development of traditional downtown resources. Attendance at one of OCRA’s 2017 exchanges meets the requirement to apply for the agency’s Downtown Enhancement Grant program.
