Our Mission:
Clare Main Street –
“Anticipating the future while preserving the past”

Utilizing the National Main Street approach of economic development and historic preservation, Clare Main Street will assist Clare’s downtown community in providing a destination people want to visit – a place where people will linger long, establish lasting relationships with downtown merchants and residents, and look forward to returning to time and time again.

Our Vision:
Clare Main Street will always be a unique and friendly downtown providing quality and value through personalized attention. Residents and visitors alike will have a positive impression of downtown Clare. The downtown will be a hub with social activity, where people of all ages and backgrounds feel a sense of belonging and a reason to be downtown and have something to do.

In 2013 downtown Clare will be the center of activity for the City of Clare and surrounding townships. This is the result of the efforts the four committees of Main Street. The Promotions Committee’s production of fun, high-quality events and promotions ensure that community members look forward to returning downtown to shop, dine, and play. People are eager to volunteer for the fundraising activities and events produced due to the continued efforts of the Organization Committee. This committee actively recruits and trains people to assist with our projects, rewarding them with activities and events held in their honor.

The Design Committee’s foresight in establishing design ordinances continues to set the standards for the physical appearance of the DDA/Main Street District. The streets are in good repair, flowers line the streets, and a small pocket park has been established for the rail-trail that travels through downtown. The history of our downtown and the significance of historical building are celebrated each year with preservation oriented events in which the community participates. More visitors are aware of the downtown because of the way finding signs placed near the expressway off-ramps. We are listed on the National Register for Historic Places, and receive the benefit of this national publicity as a result of this listing.

Because the Economic Restructuring Committee established programs to assist building owners with façade and rental rehabilitation projects, the physical appearance of the buildings has consistently improved and people are again living in the upper stories of the downtown buildings creating the need for additional retail businesses. This committee’s business recruitment efforts using the City of Clare’s Master Plan and the downtown’s Market Study have ensured that the buildings are full of a mix of retail and professional businesses and organizations that are supported by Clare and surrounding communities in addition to catering to the needs of our tourists.

Our vision is achieved and maintained through a strong public-private partnership among local government, businesses, educational institutions, non-profit community based organizations, the Chambers of Commerce in the area, and the residents of Clare and its surrounding communities. The composition of the DDA/Main Street Board is diverse and includes all ages, genders and cultures represented in our communities.