Mission
Powered by the strength of community involvement, Heart of Biddeford fosters a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable downtown for residents, businesses and visitors.
About Heart of Biddeford (HOB)
The Heart of Biddeford, in partnership with the City of Biddeford, the business community, property owners, and residents, fosters economic development and improves the downtown and quality of life within its boundaries by supporting existing businesses, attracting new businesses, promoting the downtown through events, and working to beautify the urban core. We are a volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with an active board of directors and over 300 volunteers who get involved in our four standing committees, the Adopt-a-Park program, and HOB events. We are staffed by an Executive Director, Assistant Director, a part-time Office Manager, and an Americorps Fellow. Heart of Biddeford works with the City’s various departments and the City Council, the Downtown Development Commission, City Theater, Engine, McArthur Public Library, Public Access TV, and all of the downtown businesses and nonprofits, as well as Biddeford’s wonderful community volunteers.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
As a Main Street organization, Heart of Biddeford believes Main Street is for everyone. At the core of our approach to revitalization is a commitment to creating places of shared prosperity, equal access to opportunity, and inclusive engagement. While we are proud of efforts to weave diversity, equity and inclusion into our work over the years, we begin from the assumption that, in a culture with a history of structural racism and inequity, our systems, practices and policies may be exclusive, racist, or otherwise inequitable. Our board and staff are committed to actively addressing racism directed at people who are Black and Indigenous and People of Color, and all other forms of oppression based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, ability, and religion, in our organization, programs, processes, and communications. Please read our DEI Plan, which includes HOB’s DEI Journey, executive overview, and the five Goals in our Fiscal Year 2023 DEI Plan. Heart of Biddeford also uses the event checklist below before and after events to ensure our events are accessible and inclusive.
Annual Impact Report
Each spring, Heart of Biddeford’s Board of Directors updates our Strategic Plan with annual work plans. This plan is designed to reflect the Vision and Goals that were created in The Downtown Master Plan. The Downtown Master Plan was a product of the Orton Family Foundation Heart & Soul process, and included the ideas of hundreds of community residents, and property and business owners. Then, each fall, we produce an annual Impact Report to reflect on the results of the previous fiscal year. Please take a moment to read our most recent Impact Report, from the 2023-24 fiscal year.
About the Main Street Program
In 2005, Heart of Biddeford received its Main Street Community designation from the Maine Downtown Center, which is a program of the Maine Development Foundation.
The Maine Downtown Center’s core program is Main Street Maine, which is a proven Four-Point Approach® to downtown revitalization developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1980, and is currently used in 44 states in more than 1,200 communities. Currently, ten communities have achieved and maintained Main Street Maine designation: Augusta, Bath, Belfast, Biddeford, Brunswick, Gardiner, Rockland, Saco, Skowhegan, and Westbrook.
As a unique economic development tool, the Main Street Four-Point Approach® is the foundation for local initiatives to revitalize their districts by leveraging local assets—from cultural or architectural heritage to local enterprises and community pride. The four points of the Main Street approach work together to build a sustainable and complete community revitalization effort. The four points are 1) Organization 2) Promotions 3) Design and 4) Business Enhancement.
As a Main Street America Accredited™️ program, Heart of Biddeford is a recognized leading program among the national network of more than 1200 neighborhoods and communities who share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. All Main Street America Accredited™️ programs meet a set of National Accreditation Standards of Performance as outlined by the National Main Street Center.
Progress
Since HOB’s formation, it’s hard not to notice how far downtown Biddeford has come. We have unique small businesses throughout our downtown, a handful of excellent international restaurants, a beautifully restored Victorian City Theater, festivals, live music events and a burgeoning arts scene (thanks to Engine and the artists with whom they collaborate!).
Biddeford’s walkable downtown and Mill District feature more than two million square feet of mill space being redeveloped into residential and office/studio space. The mills are already home to an exciting group of light industrial businesses, and more retail and service businesses are opening all the time. The beautiful Biddeford RiverWalk, which includes an photo-worthy pedestrian bridge, gives residents and visitors an up-close view of the Saco River.
The National Main Street Center’s experience in helping communities bring their commercial corridors back to life has shown time and time again that the Main Street Four-Point Approach® succeeds.
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