Main Street director outlines downtown events, pocket park plan and fundraising needs

Jordan Norby, director of Main Street Monroe, told the City of Monroe Common Council that Main Street — a local nonprofit that supports downtown promotion, design, organization and economic vitality — is celebrating its 20th year and has a full slate of 2025 events including concerts, parades and a farmers market.

Norby told council members the organization follows a four-point approach and relies on roughly 120 regular volunteers and local partnerships to run about 26 event days plus weekly farmers market dates. “We’re a 501(c)(3) nonprofit,” he said, and added the city and a 144-property business improvement district provide recurring support; Main Street also uses sponsorships and direct donations.

Norby described a pocket park project that Main Street is helping fund and said the nonprofit plans to turn the completed park over to the city for maintenance. He said Main Street has set up an endowment and has a $1,000,000 total fundraising goal for the project; he said the organization still needs to raise a remaining portion of that total to complete the work.

On funding for operations, Norby said Main Street receives $35,000 from the city for general operating expenses and that the business improvement district contributions and sponsorships make up the remainder of regular support. He also noted a recent Community Development Investment Grant application for the Eugene Hotel project and pointed to past grant-funded work on the White Block Building as an example of public-private investment.

Norby cited geofencing numbers showing about 120,000 visitors to the downtown district in 2023, with roughly 85,000 coming during summer months and a notable share of visitors traveling more than 50 miles. He argued those figures support continued investment in downtown activation and visitor promotion funded in part by room-tax dollars.

He said Main Street will hire a part-time staffer to support growth of the farmers market, noting the market previously benefited from a three-year federal grant that provided about $60,000 in earlier years. Norby also described ongoing public-art and mural programming tied to this year’s “summerween” theme and thanked city staff, volunteers and partner organizations for long-running collaboration.

The council and the city administrator thanked Norby for the update and noted Main Street will have representation on the steering committee for the city’s comprehensive plan update. Norby’s presentation concluded without any formal council action at tonight’s meeting.