Mission and Vision

Mission Statement
The mission of the Laramie Main Street Program is to foster the economic and social vitality of downtown Laramie, while accentuating its unique heritage.

Vision Statement
The downtown Laramie of the future will be an attractive and uniquely vibrant destination for community residents and visitors. Featured on the plains of the Laramie Basin, downtown Laramie will maintain its quaint atmosphere while offering ample dining, shopping, entertainment, and cultural and educational opportunities. Accentuating the historic quality of its traditional architecture and railroad history, the downtown will reflect the civic, academic, economic, social and cultural vitality of the entire community.

Downtown Laramie will be a clean, comfortable, and well-lighted environment. The streets will be full of life and activity as people move about with ease. It will provide a safe haven for adults, teens, and children as they gather for formal and informal socializing. To spur commerce and support community values, business leaders such as bankers, attorneys and other service professionals, will support the downtown by partnering with local merchants, helping to recruit and retain downtown stakeholders.

Surrounded by broad mountain views, the downtown will exhibit historically sensitive building restoration. This will provide residential apartment living and office space in upper building floors. Ground level space will house a healthy mix of locally owned businesses that display the creative niches of Laramie entrepreneurs and mainstream businesses that will contribute to a strong economic base. Pleased by the traditional architecture and enticed by the sights, smells, and sounds of downtown activities, downtown patrons will experience a creative and lively community center.

Laramie’s downtown will compliment the cultural venues of the University of Wyoming by providing additional varied forms of entertainment for community residents. A rehabilitated Fox Theater building will showcase local and regional talent and serve as a community-gathering place. Regular, year-round promotional activities that emphasize the rich history of Laramie will enhance existing events while incorporating new ones and entice residents and visitors to think of the downtown as the place to shop, play, and relax.

The entryways to downtown Laramie will be marked by an attractive refurbished Third Street that will steer residents and visitors to the historic commercial district. Movement along Third Street will be safe and free, allowing for ease of pedestrian and traffic flow to the east and west of downtown. Also reflecting the community’s municipal, academic and residential character, the downtown will connect visually as well as synergistically to the University and adjacent neighborhoods. The Garfield Railroad Footbridge will be the link to the west side, emphasizing again that the downtown is the focal point and link to the greater community.

As downtown Laramie will prosper, so will the entire community. Laramie is Wyoming’s hometown. Its residents will be proud to turn their attentions to its heart and core, reminiscent of and perpetuating Laramie’s reputation as the Gem City of the Plains.

The Main Street Approach

The Main Street Program is a nationwide program that works to revitalize historic downtowns. The National Trust for Historic Preservation created the Main Street Program in 1977 in reaction to economic decline and threats to traditional architecture in core commercial districts. Laramie was selected in January 2005 to be a pilot community of the Wyoming Main Street Program and in June the Laramie Main Street Program was formed and follows the national approach.

To revitalize downtown areas and combat discouraging development trends, the Four-Point approach was developed: Organization, Promotions, Economic Restructuring, and Design. Briefly stated, Organization builds consensus and cooperation among community groups and organizations, manages and recruits volunteers, fundraises and creates public awareness of the Program. Promotion is defined as selling and marketing the image and prospects of the downtown’s unique social, economic, and cultural character. Economic restructuring focuses on strengthening and broadening the existing economic base of the downtown. Design works to make visual improvements of the downtown through good design compatible with historic features.

The Main Street Program is community driven and works to bring out the unique qualities that local downtowns can offer. The Program provides a comprehensive, grass-roots model for economic revitalization of historic downtowns and commercial districts by using historic preservation tools. By focusing on the distinct architecture, personal service, local ownership, and sense of community in downtowns, the Program aims to create a friendly environment that supports economic growth. The National Main Street Program has developed the Four- Point approach as a proven method in reaching these desired goals. Communities that have developed this approach in their own downtowns on average have had a reinvestment rate of $40.35 for every one-dollar spent. For more information you can visit the website of the National Main Street Program.

Committees in Laramie

To help fulfill the mission and vision of the Laramie Main Street Program, there are four active committees and a variety of subcommittees that work together to carry out the goals of the Program and the Four-Point approach. Using the Four-Point approach as its model and guide, the Laramie Main Street Program mirrors the strategy of the National Main Street Program. These four elements must be exercised in order for a local program to be successful.

Laramie Main Street Board: The Board of Directors sets the policy direction for the Laramie Main Street Program. The Board includes representatives from groups and organizations including property owners, city/county officials, merchants, bankers, residents, professionals, civic groups, the Chamber of Commerce, schools, real estate agents, and others that play a role or have a stake in the economic vitality of the downtown. Other roles include volunteer management, recruitment, fundraising and public relations.

Downtown Development Authority (DDA): Economic Restructuring. The DDA works to strengthen and broaden the existing economic base of the downtown. Activities include helping existing businesses to expand, recruiting more businesses, converting unused space into productive property and sharpening the competitiveness of downtown merchants.

Downtown Laramie Business Association (DLBA): Promotion. The DLBA sells and markets the image and prospects of the downtown’s unique social, economic, and cultural character to shoppers, investors, new businesses, tourists, and others. Promotion creates a positive image of downtown through special events, campaigns, advertising, retail promotions, marketing strategies and on-going programs that build positive perceptions.

Design Committee: Design. This group works to create visual improvements of the downtown through good design compatible with historic features. Physical improvements projects include building rehabilitation and also streetscapes, window displays, parking areas, signs, sidewalks, public areas, and landscaping – all elements that convey a visual message about the downtown.

Organization Committee: Organization. The Organization Committee works to keep the board, committees, staff and program in good shape by attracting people and money to the organization. This committee is in charge of volunteer recruitment and fundraising.

Other Downtown Committees:

Streetscape Committee: The Laramie Downtown Streetscape Committee was appointed by the City Council in February 2004 to provide recommendations to the Council on downtown streetscape improvements and beautification utilizing $750,000 from the Specific Purpose Tax funds, which were earmarked for this purpose.

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