Emporia Main Street's DESIGN programs are run by a committee of volunteers along with Main Street staff. The goal of our design initiatives is to create a vibrant downtown commercial district by enhancing the district's physical and visual assets.
Our design programs work to improve downtown buildings, parking areas, street furniture, signs, sidewalks, street lights, and landscaping. Our design programs also help individual business owners with building design, window display implementation, education, and advice. All design activities are focused on making downtown a welcoming place for residents and visitors, and a place for businesses to thrive.
Additionally, the Design Committee works to preserve the legacy and stories of the Downtown Historic District through a variety of historic preservation activities.
Design Programs
Adopt-a-Garden
Emporia's downtown gardens are all maintained by volunteers. If you love to garden, ask us how you can adopt one!
Historic Tax Credits
If you own property within Downtown Historic District, you may qualify for tax credits on maintenance, upgrades or redevelopment.
Veterans Banners
We honor our heroes every fall with a downtown display of over 200 light pole banners featuring area veterans.
Beyond the Banners
Beyond the Banners is a keepsake book that was created in response to the overwhelming popularity of our Veterans Banner Project.
Other Design Committe Projects
Want to support a vibrant downtown atmosphere?
Our design programs seek to create a pleasant, welcoming environment downtown, which draws shoppers, residents, and visitors. This ultimately benefits not just downtown, but our community as a whole.
Interested in joining the design committee?
The Design Committee perfect for creative types who are willing to their hands dirty, as well those who are interested in or knowledgable about Emporia's history. Click the button below if you'd like to join!
Design Education
Where is my banner?
Click HERE for a listing of the 2024 Banners at Emporia State University and in Downtown Emporia!
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An Energy Dollar Saved is an Energy Dollar Earned! Understanding efficiency options for your business.
Kansas businesses spend a higher percentage of their gross income on utilities than most of the nation. That fact isn’t a knock on our utility companies, it is a function of our climate. Anyone from Kansas will tell you that we get just about as cold as anyone in the winter, and just about as…
Continue Reading >New Incentives to Aid in Building Development
New incentives to aid in redevelopment, and strategies to “right size” buildings Development opportunities are important to the future of the community. Ensuring that existing buildings are utilized can assist in growing a vibrant entrepreneurial class, and can aid in creating housing opportunities that are vital to community success. Incentives that aid in redevelopment can…
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See the Light! If you aren’t properly lighting your windows and entry points, you are losing consumer attention.
It’s getting dark earlier, and that generates a needed upgrade for many businesses (especially in pedestrian areas). Lighting your windows, and all of your egress points (front entrance and alley entrance-if open to customer traffic) is critically important. Lighting windows helps you turn your window space into a billboard that showcases products. It helps you…
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Are You Maximizing Your Space?
An internal space inventory can help your business save on some static costs and drive more income streams! Successful businesses today are focused on the numbers. Costs of materials and shipping are fluctuating; labor is difficult; and interest rates are rising. Sometimes we get so focused on a few line items that we forget about maximizing the…
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Transparency in Design: Seeing is believing (and makes you more accessible to your consuming public).
Our brains are hardwired with certain needs and preconceptions as we interact with our environment. Thousands of years of evolution have provided our subconscious with ways to help us judge desirable and undesirable environments. Today, we use some of our innate preconceptions to help us in community, building, and business design. By understanding the design…
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