The distaff side of the office is holding down the fort (that’d be Joyce and me) while the guys head out for a DART visit in Logan. DART stands for Downtown Assessment Resource Team and a visit from the team (usually two Heritage Ohio reps and then an experienced Main Street Program manager) is the first step to learning about Main Street and what it can do for that community.
Main Street is a big commitment and before a town can figure out whether or not they’re ready to take that step, they need to understand exactly what it’s about. So a DART visit — sometimes called around the office Main Street 101 — is a customized introduction to Main Street we give along with lots of resources to help a town get started whatever they eventually decide to do.
At a DART visit the team tours the town to learn more about it’s strengths and challenges to help better understand what’s going on now and what needs to happen. Then they create a presentation bearing in mind the community’s unique needs to share information about the four points and eight principles and how Main Street works.
We’ve recently decided to bring new communities in at a network level — think of it as Main Street Lite! Communities can get in our trainings and extensive resources without taking on the full-fledged responsibilities of being a full-time Main Street Community. This will help us reach smaller towns and work with them at a level that is more accessible. It all starts with a DART visit.
If you think you’re community would benefit from a DART visit — or just want to learn more — please contact us!
