The Coalition to Revitalize Maine's Towns and Cities

The Heart of Biddeford has joined a coalition of like minded non-profits
and individuals statewide with a goal of helping to spearhead the
efforts of downtown revitalization throughout the state of Maine.

Who are we?
The Coalition to revitalize Maine's towns and cities is a collection
of non profit organizations, town and city officials, Main Street
programs, business people and others dedicated to revitalizing Maine
communities and fostering redevelopment of some of our most unique
assets: our historic Main Streets and downtown districts. We strive
to provide resources and tools to help protect and enhance town & city
centers, and to reach out to a diverse group of allies including
conservationists, businesses, government, and many others.

Why do we exist?
Whether you live in Maine or you're a visitor, you know that one of
the things that makes this state unique is the proliferation of
historic downtown districts, Main Streets and our small town
character. From Fort Kent to Saco, these jewels are the centers of
economic activity, cultural and social activity, and the very heart of
the community.

Over time, we've built up a proliferation of rules and regulations
that discourage investment in these special areas, and increasingly
people, investment and development are being pushed to the surrounding rural and suburban communities.

This presents several challenges for Maine:

• Empty storefronts and vacant Main Street buildings can mean a loss
of community vitality and economic activity.
• It costs more to serve a dispersed population because we are forced
to build redundant infrastructure and provide services to a larger
area. The cost of government in fast growing rural and suburban
communities tends to rise as population increases- particularly when a
town passes the 2,500-3,500 mark.
• Increased driving from the proliferation of auto-dependent
development outside our town centers increases greenhouse gas
emissions contributing to climate change.
• Sprawling development and the loss of community vitality both
threaten the quality of this place- our natural landscape and unique
livable communities- that are part of our unique competitive
advantage: the Maine 'brand.'

What are we working for?
We are joining forces to help protect and enhance our unique
communities across the state. Our goals are:

• Build a broad-based coalition to advocate for Maine's historic
downtowns, Main Streets, village centers and surrounding
neighborhoods.
• Remove barriers to successful redevelopment of our downtowns
and Main Streets;
• Promote investment in these special places to preserve and enhance
the Maine 'brand;'
• Address emerging threats to the vitality of our towns & cities;
• And make it easier for people to live, work, go to school, visit,
shop, and worship in our town and city centers.

For more information, please contact Rachael Weyand at the Heart of Biddeford.