Downtown Menomonie is a non-profit organization that works together with property and business owners to build a strong and vibrant downtown commercial district. Small businesses are the heart of downtown and they thrive with ongoing resources for networking and support. We strive to preserve the heritage of our historic downtown for the next generation, assist and promote our businesses, and provide support where we can.

Our Mission:

To enhance the vitality of Downtown Menomonie by supporting downtown as a community, historic and economic center.

Our Vision:

Downtown Menomonie will be the destination for commerce, culture and entertainment. 

The Four Point Approach: 

The National Main Street Center of the National Trust for Historic Preservation offers a comprehensive strategy to commercial district revitalization that has been widely successful in many towns and cities throughout the country. The points described below—which Downtown Menomonie follows—are called the Main Street Four-Point Approach.

1) Organization

Organization means everyone works toward the same goal. Using a volunteer-driven program with an organizational structure of a governing board and committees can ease the tough work of building consensus and cooperation among the groups that have an important stake in the district.

2) Promotion

Promotion means the Main Street program sells its image and lives up to its promise to all prospects. By marketing the district’s unique characteristics to shoppers, investors, new businesses and visitors, an effective promotion strategy forges a positive image through advertising, retail promotional activity, special events and marketing campaigns carried out by local volunteers. It serves to improve consumer and investor confidence in the district.

3) Design

Design means getting Main Street into top physical shape. Capitalizing on Main Street’s best assets—such as historic buildings and traditional pedestrian-oriented layouts—is just part of the story. An inviting atmosphere, created through window displays, parking areas, building improvements, street furniture, signs, sidewalks, street lights and landscaping, conveys a visual message about what the commercial district is and what it has to offer.

4) Economic Restructuring

Economic Restructuring strengthens a community’s existing economic assets while diversifying its economic base. By helping existing businesses expand and recruiting new ones to respond to today’s market, the Main Street program helps convert unused or underutilized space into economically productive property, to sharpen the competitiveness and profitability of businesses.

Our relationship with local government and the Chamber of Commerce

We are proud of the partnerships that we have with our local government officials and the Greater Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce (GMACC). Although we work closely with local government entities and GMACC on many projects and programs, we are a separate non-profit organization that works on behalf of our downtown commercial district to promote economic growth and vitality in downtown Menomonie.