About the Program
As a Main Street America™ Accredited program, Downtown Hendersonville is a recognized leading program among the national network of neighborhoods and communities that share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. All Main Street America™ Accredited programs meet a set of National Accreditation Standards of Performance as outlined by the National Main Street Center.
Downtown Hendersonville is a North Carolina Main Street community, designated by the N.C. Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning Center. Downtown Hendersonville is charged with administering the program at the local level and building public-private partnerships to spur economic development that achieves measurable results such as investment, business growth, and job creation.
About The National Main Street Program | Main Street America™
Main Street America™ has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts since 1980. Today it is a network of neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, that share both commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Main Street America™ is a movement. It is the leading voice for preservation-based economic development and community revitalization across the country. Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, Main Street America represents the broad diversity that makes this country so unique. Working together, the programs that make up the Main Street America network help to breathe new life into the places people call home.
Learn more about Main Street America.
About The North Carolina Main Street Rural Planning Center
The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center is a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program. Main Street America™ is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As one of the first Main Street America™ Coordinating Programs designated in 1980, NC Main Street inspires placemaking through building asset-based economic development strategies. The NC Main Street staff is charged by the NC Department of Commerce to facilitate downtown economic development using the Main Street America Four-Point Approach. The Main Street Approach™ focuses on economic development strategies to transform downtown. These strategies articulate a focused path to revitalizing or strengthening a downtown economy. Designated NC Main Street community's work is organized around the Four-Point Approach: Economic Vitality, Design, Promotion, and Organization.
Learn more about the NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center.
About the Downtown Advisory Board
Board list and information can be found here. (opens in a new tab)
The City of Hendersonville is committed to protecting the economic viability, physical infrastructure, and social fabric of Main Street, 7th Avenue and the entire downtown area. The Downtown Mainstreet Advisory and Seventh Avenue Advisory Committees were merged by City Council to form a the Downtown Advisory Board. The Board serves in an advisory role to the City Council in matters pertaining to the Hendersonville Main Street Municipal Service District and 7th Avenue Municipal Service District subject to such limitations as may be imposed by state law or by ordinances of the City. The Board works in concert with City Staff and City Council to implement the historic preservation based economic development strategy developed by the National Main Street Center and known as "The Four Point Approach." The Board is an active member of the North Carolina Main Street Program.
Membership & Terms
All appointments shall be made by the City of Hendersonville City Council. The Board shall consist of sixteen (16) members, including (14) voting members and (2) non-voting members. Membership shall be composed from the following membership categories:
- 5 Stakeholders representing Seventh Avenue Municipal Service District (all voting members)
- 5 Stakeholders representing Main Street Municipal Service District (all voting members)
- 4 At-large members (all voting members)
- 1 City Council liaison member (non-voting member)
- 1 Representative (Director or designee) from the Hendersonville Rescue Mission (non-voting member)
Stakeholder members are defined as persons owning property within a municipal service district the City of Hendersonville, and business owners whose business is located within a municipal service district in the City of Hendersonville.
At-large members are defined as persons owning property or residing within the City of Hendersonville or Henderson County, or business owners whose business is located within the City of Hendersonville or Henderson County.
Members serve three-year staggered terms and may be reappointed to two consecutive terms, before being required to sit off the board for at least one year. Members serve without compensation.
Meetings
Regular Joint Meetings of the City of Hendersonville Downtown Advisory Board are held on the second Tuesday of every month beginning at 4:00 p.m. in the Downtown Offices located at 125 5th Avenue W. Suite 200, Hendersonville NC, Hendersonville NC. Meetings may take place virtually via zoom with notice. Meeting access information will be posted on the City's calendar(opens in a new tab) in addition to any notice.
Municipal Service District Timeline and Key Establishment Dates
1975 - Main Street MSD Established
1977- Original Streetscape Completed
1998- 7th Avenue MSD Established
2006 - Main Street added 1 block south to MSD
2008 - Main Street Streetscape was refurbished (2008-2013)
2011 - Main Street MSD came under city direction and management
2015 - 7th Avenue MSD came under city direction and management, district was also expanded
2020 - Downtown & Planning divisions of City combine to form Community Development Dept
2021 - Advisory committees merged to create Downtown Advisory Board, Main Street and 7th Avenue budgets are still separate
2022-2023
Parking Garage Complete & Establishment of Parking Enterprise Fund
MSD Tax Rate Equalized between both districts
What are Municipal Service Districts?
Municipal Service Districts are also known as MSD's, are special tax districts allowed though North Carolina General Statute 160A-536.
Tax revenue generated by each district must go above and beyond typical city services.
Resources must stay within those district boundaries because it supports the properties that are paying the additional tax.
Hendersonville has two Municipal Service Districts that make Downtown Hendersonville, the Main Street Municipal Service District and the 7th Avenue Municipal Service District.
