We believe that Main Street is full of possibilities-for vibrant, creative housing solutions; for entrepreneurial and small business ecosystems; for safe and walkable neighborhoods; for gathering places that bring people together across real and perceived barriers; and for the opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder to improve the place where you live.

The Main Street movement in Washington State is strong, and it offers limitless potential for our communities to continue to innovate, adapt, and thrive.

💡The Downtown Pullman Association (DPA) is a Main Street Organization! Learn how to  put your B&O tax dollars to work right here in Downtown Pullman and invest directly into our community here!

📷 Pictured here: Lentil Fest Friday, one of Downtown Pullman Association’s signature events. it brings together families, students, businesses, and community members to celebrate all the possibilities our downtown has to offer.

Small businesses are the backbone of our local economies, but they are also up against real challenges, from access to capital and banking barriers to competing for attention in an increasingly busy and corporate-dominated marketplace.

Washington’s small businesses continue to experience lower revenue and higher expenses for doing business, demonstrating that support is more critical than ever. The good news is that small businesses located in Main Street districts reported higher confidence scores than those not supported by a local Main Street organization.

Here in Downtown Pullman, DPA supports small businesses by helping create a more welcoming, active, and vibrant downtown district. Programs like Movable Furniture add inviting places to sit and gather, while the Beautiful Buildings Grant Program supports façade improvements and new signage. Through ongoing business promotion, community events that bring people downtown, and partnerships that increase volunteer engagement, DPA helps strengthen the local businesses that make Downtown Pullman special

Main Street is consistently a trusted resource, if not an actual lifeline, to small businesses. A 2021 study showed that businesses located in Washington Main Street districts rebounded from the pandemic at a faster rate than businesses located in similar environments without a local Main Street organization.

During economic uncertainty, small businesses depend upon Main Street as a rooted and trusted connection to resources, strategy, and community support.

From up-and-coming metro areas such as Vancouver and Everett to rural regions like Colville and LaCrosse, Main Street has been an effective strategy for organizing local people around their shared passion for resilient historic commercial districts since 1984.

🤝In fact, one of the best things about Washington Main Street is the diversity of the network of Main Street communities across our state. While the contexts may differ, the principles are the same, and Main Street leaders from every corner of our state have the opportunities to learn with and from each other through Washington Main Street's programming.

Whether a Main Street district is contending with the pressures associated with being along the I-5 corridor or struggling with the population threats that come with changes to agricultural practices, Main Street can be a powerful tool for bringing people together to sustain and invigorate downtown.

📷 Pictured here: Pullman To-Go & Gather, a community dinner that transformed downtown into one big gathering place. Organized in partnership with the City of Pullman and inspired by successful events in other Washington communities, it’s a great example of how ideas travel across the state and help strengthen local downtowns.

From the potential to reuse and reimagine historic spaces to the impressive track record of reinvention through decades of economic and social change, Main Streets—the organizations and the districts themselves—are a sound investment.

The Washington State Main Street Program has a positive return on investment for the State of Washington. For every dollar the state has allocated to the program, the economic activity generated in Main Street communities has generated $1.58 back to the state in tax revenues from enhanced business activity.

This noteworthy ROl encompasses the Main Street Tax Credit Incentive Program, a unique funding opportunity that allows Washington businesses to effectively keep their tax dollars local by making a donation to a designated Main Street Community.

💡 The Downtown Pullman Association (DPA) is a Main Street Organization! Learn how to keep it local and put your B&O tax dollars to work right here in Downtown Pullman here!

📷 Pictured here: Before and after the Downtown Pullman Association’s Riverside Mural Project. Led by the DPA and made possible through the efforts of volunteers, local artists, community partners, and donor support, this project transformed a neglected wall into a vibrant community landmark.