MAIN STREET BOWIE

Main Street Bowie’s vision is a revitalized, active and historically preserved city with a healthy mix of retail, business, residential, civic, cultural and entertainment activities. Main Street Bowie’s mission is to support and assist revitalization and historic preservation through community participation and collaborative partnerships to create a thriving Bowie, Texas.

Bowie became one of the officially designated Texas Main Street Project cities in 1997.  In January, 2000, upon completion of its first three years of affiliation with the state program, Bowie became recognized as a Graduate Main Street city.

The Main Street philosophy combines self-help economic development activities with historic preservation to revitalize communities and their central cores. In Bowie, this program is a partnership between the City of Bowie and the non-profit Main Street Bowie organization. The City of Bowie provides resources for a staff person, as well as on-going operational expenses, such as office space, supplies, and travel and training.  The Main Street Bowie non-profit organization provides volunteer resources for the various implementation committees, as well as funding for Main Street promotions, festivals, and other special projects.

To accomplish its goal of revitalization, Main Street Bowie uses a four-point approach:

• Organization - Bringing people and groups together to work for the betterment of downtown and the entire community.

• Promotion - Using special events, festivals, public relations and media to promote Bowie and its businesses.

• Design - Encouraging quality design improvements through renovation and restoration of historic buildings, streetscape enhancements and compatible new construction.

• Economic Restructuring - Strengthening the local economy by growing the customer base for existing businesses and recruiting new businesses to serve market needs.  Encouraging investment in downtown buildings and businesses.

Bowie Economic Development Corporation

The Bowie Economic Development Corporation (Bowie EDC) is a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to promote, assist and enhance economic development.  This corporation administers the use of Bowie’s 4A Economic Development Sales Tax monies to retain, expand and recruit industrial and manufacturing jobs to Bowie and Montague County.  Bowie EDC resources are available for customized research, technical assistance, and development incentive packages.

Examples of Bowie EDC activities include:

•     Conducting a “Workforce Verification Study”;

•     Launching the “Come Grow With Us” campaign;

•     Purchasing and renovating a 13,000 sq. ft. industrial building;

•     Leasing the 13,000 sq. ft. building to an existing Bowie industry for expansion;

•     Paving a road that serves a group of existing businesses and a new manufacturer;

•     Awarding a grant to a new industrial floor coating manufacturer as reimbursement for ad valorem taxes;

•     Assisting an industry with site location for a new 20,000 sq ft industrial facility in Bowie, and awarding incentive grants to this polyethylene pipe manufacturer;

•     Providing a relocation grant to a hat manufacturing company that moved its plant from southeast Texas to Bowie;

•     Exploring options for industrial park development;

•     Providing lease-purchase incentives to a growing manufacturer that builds specialty parts for the racing industry; and

•     Building a 15,000 sq. ft. industrial building.

 For more information on the Bowie EDC, contact Susan Campbell, Economic Development Coordinator, at 940-872-6246 or E-mail scampbell@cityofbowietx.com or visit the Bowie EDC website at www.bowietx.org

© Copyright 2003 by City of Bowie, Bowie, TX. - All Rights Reserved.
Revised: September 27, 2007

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