About | St. Johns Main Street

St. Johns Main Street was formed in 2010 by a group of passionate St. Johns residents and business owners who are committed to making our community more vibrant, stable, and sustainable.

MISSION

The mission of the St. Johns Main Street Coalition is to create a thriving and diverse town center that supports and attracts small businesses and customers. We connect the people and resources of St. Johns to preserve our unique business district, promote livability, and foster responsible development for the future.

VISION

St. Johns is a diverse neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, that feels like a small town in the middle of the city. Its main street business district serves as the center of a thriving community. The district is defined by the rich history of its buildings, bridge, industries and unique geographic location. Its future growth is achieved by economically and environmentally sustainable and diverse local businesses, supported by the resources
of a collaborative community.

MAIN STREET & THE FOUR POINT APPROACH

Main Street is a national movement that has been around for more than 30 years and has been applied to more than 2,000 communities. Through the passion of community volunteers, the program’s proven four point approach, resources, and assistance have helped these district’s revitalize their downtown and neighborhood business districts. The result is a more vibrant, stable, and sustainable community. Click here to learn more.

CURRENT INITIATIVES

St. Johns Main Street current and immediate future projects include:

Strengthen and support existing businesses in downtown St. Johns through bi-monthly Business Seminars and Mixers.
Increase marketing of the St. Johns business district throughout Portland and SW Washington, including the branding of St. Johns
Attract new businesses to the district’s empty storefronts
Improve the appearance of downtown St. Johns by refurbishing and installing new benches, planting trees, painting fire hydrants, and designing and installing unique street sign toppers for the district
Provide increased promotional opportunities in for business St. Johns, including the fall/winter coupon book, holiday gazette, spring drawing, and the debut of the St. Johns Harvest Fest in September 2013
Grow our partnerships with local community groups including the St. Johns Boosters, St. Johns Farmers Market, St. Johns Neighborhood Association, and Friends of Cathedral Park Neighborhood Association

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Since St. Johns Main Street was formed in 2010, the organization has been busy establishing itself in the community. Successes include:

Incorporation of St. Johns Main Street as an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization
Establishment an office on “Main Street” (Lombard Ave)
Establishment of a bi-weekly Foot Patrol along the Main Street corridor
Secured grants to improve public safety and graffiti abatement
Created a Walking Map marketing tool for downtown St. Johns
Achieved a comprehensive recycling program with new locally designed and produced trash and recycle receptacles
Organized in partnership with the University of Portland 3 seasonal Cleansweeps of the district, including weeding, planting, sweeping, trash pick-up, and graffiti removal.
Collaboration between University of Portland business class and 10 St. Johns Businesses
Held a Design Workshop to envision what St. Johns might look like in the future
Established a weekly electronic newsletter, social media presence, and community calendar

Board of Directors

Ryan Deibert, President
Ending Homelessness Initiative at City of Portland

John Palmeri, Treasurer
Albina Community Bank

Amanda Morgan

Josh Guerra, Chair of Design
Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects

Roslyn Hill
Property Owner

Gilbert Luzader
NW Storage

Nicole Lennol
Farrell Realty

Nicole Blanchette
Leisure Public House

John Huckfeldt
Marie’s

Mike Fahey
Carpenter’s Food Bank

Shamaine Coffee
Coffee Kids

Reggie Guyton
State Farm Insurance

OFFICE

Robin Wright, Americorps VISTA
robinw@stjohnsmainstreet.org