LGDDA Mission Statement [Adopted July 23, 2001]

The La Grande Downtown Development Association envisions a vital, attractive downtown for the benefit of the entire community.

Official Motto: "Businesses Dedicated to a Vital Community."

The mission of the La Grande Downtown Development Association is "to interact as fully as possible with the community in the four ways identified under the "Mainstreet Program."

1. Organization: The "Mainstreet" approach recognizes that successful downtowns require on-going consistent management with a central organization which can plan and coordinate promotional activities, improvement projects, recruitment efforts, and inter-organizational relations. A downtown or community organization with an active board of directors and a full-time manager is essential to "Mainstreet" success.

2. Promotion: "Mainstreet" recognizes that a successful downtown needs a consistent promotion program, similar to that of a shopping mall's. A carefully planned schedule of: (A) retail sales events, (B) festive (non-sales) events, and (C) on-going 'image' promotions, is essential.

3. Design: "Mainstreet" recognizes that the visual impression people get when downtown has a tremendous impact on whether they stay and spend their time and money or move on to clean, attractive shopping malls. The "Mainstreet" approach demands a serious effort on the part of business and property owners, and the community, to invest in building improvements, new, more appropriate signs, better storefront displays, and 'people' places. If we send out positive visual messages, the public will respond positively.

4. Economic Restructuring: "Mainstreet" recognizes that the market has changed and downtowns will probably never regain their prominence as primary centers of retail trade. The malls are here to stay. But, downtowns can reposition themselves with a more diversified mix of goods, services, offices and housing which will fit nicely with the special setting and atmosphere that only a downtown can provide. The 'Mainstreet' approach is incremental and long-term oriented. We don't produce changes overnight. We begin by changing attitudes first. It requires local energy, initiative, and local investment. We determine the destiny of our downtown and the direction our community will take!