After three years of trying, Carbondale received nomination as a community in the Illinois Main Street program, a city council member says.

As an Illinois Main Street community, Carbondale would be eligible for developmental and advances services and training that will help members of the community revitalize Carbondale’s downtown area.

Illinois Main Street, initiated in May 1993 by Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra, has helped 15 communities in the state revitalize their downtown area.

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About 50 local residents heard a four-part plan at a workshop Thursday that explained the procedures necessary to become a Main Street community.

The workshop was sponsored by Carbondale Uptown, Inc., a group of volunteer citizens whose objective is to work with the city and downtown businesses to devise ways to revitalize the area along Illinois Avenue, which is bordered by Oak Street on the north and Grand Avenue on the south.

The four-part plan includes organizing and managing the downtown, designing and improving the downtown’s appearance, promoting and bringing more people downtown and restructuring Carbondale’s economy by strengthening the downtown’s economic base.

The plan is a self-help program which teaches volunteers how to get financial and emotional support from the local community. The financial help would fund the changes that would be made if Carbondale receives designation.

Valecia Crisafulli, coordinator for Illinois Main Street out of Kustra’s office, said if Carbondale Uptown, Inc., completes all the steps in the plan by April, Carbondale could become a Main Street community.

If Carbondale becomes a Main Street community it would get assistance and guidance from the state Department of Commerce as well as Community Affairs and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Crisafulli said Carbondale would be a good community to join the program because of the strength of its businesses and the University.

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The vitality and energy are here, Crisafulli said. There’s really energy and excitement here to make it to the next step.

We’re working to make something good even better, she said. We want to build a better community by enhancing what it has.

Crisafulli said a small group of people cannot accomplish getting Carbondale into the Illinois Main Street program.

There has to be a commitment from the entire community to make this happen, she said. There will be some failures, some successes and a lot of trial and error that goes along with this.

Maggie Flanagan, member of the city council and Uptown, Inc., said the downtown area is important to everyone, and she would like to see more SIUC students involved by giving ideas and participating in the activities.

We need to create a downtown we can be proud of, she said.

Ted Hild, chief-of-staff for preservation services, said his job in revitalizing Carbondale would be to enhance the appearance of buildings already in the downtown area.

If we can just get one owner to fix up his or her building, a chain reaction would be started, Hild said.

Carbondale Uptown will decide at its Oct. 12 meeting in the Carbondale Public Library at 6 p.m. whether or not to accept the four-part plan from the Illinois Main Street program.