Main Street starts new effort through Friends of McKinney Main Street project

The McKinney Main Street Program is kicking off a way for lovers of downtown McKinney to show their support for downtown businesses, events and history that makes up the diverse area just west of State Highway 5 to Church Street, near the city square.

McKinney Main Street is unveiling the Friends of McKinney Main Street project where people can donate anywhere from $25 or higher to help preserve the entertainment, events and history alive in downtown McKinney. Corporate donations are also available. McKinney Main Street will use the Friends of McKinney Main Street project to work with the McKinney Economic Development Corporation and the McKinney Community Development Corp., said Karen Klassen, owner of Spoons Cafe in downtown and a Main Street board member.

Main Street Program Director Ty Lake said that business owners can give members of the Friends of McKinney Main Street discounts on merchandise, or specials, and notices on sales as part of the program. Lake and about 60 business owners discussed the project, along with how Main Street works with downtown business and property owners during a town hall meeting held May 12 at the Bevel House in Chestnut Square, which is along the southern part of downtown.

The Friends of McKinney Main Street will kick off on May 26 and Merry Caroline Canter, Administrative Assistant for the McKinney Main Street Program is heading up the project. She may be reached at mcanter@mckinneytexas.org.

Jill Robinson of the Texas Main Street Program in Austin also attended the meeting and told the business and property owners how the National Main Street Program provides free public and private marketing for the downtown area.

She also asked the business owners if any of them did not like having events in downtown and if they thought they cause difficulties for business owners.

"That's a constant conversation we're having with our Main Street organizations throughout the state, but the events do bring in people. Llots of times if they don't come into your business the day of the event they may come later," Robinson said.

The city pays $126,000 to cover the two staff members and the MEDC paid $25,000 for this fiscal year, and the rest of the budget is comprised of fund-raising efforts coordinated by the Main Street staff, Robinson said. For example, the Main Street Program raised $169,000 in funding for the 2006-2007 fiscal year, Robinson said.

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