Richard Metzger, executive director of the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center, has been named the chair of the Downtown Committee of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce.

Metzger said that to be asked to chair the committee is a huge honor.

“I really appreciate the committee’s vote of confidence in my ability and in my commitment to downtown Troy,” he said. “In working with the executive committee, we are looking at the city’s strategic plan that was developed about three years ago. We have identified three goals in that strategic plan where we might be of assistance to the city.”

Those goals include researching the Main Street Program and how it is being implemented across the country.

Metzger said the Main Street program is a proven, powerful tool for small town economic development. It is a highly focused, long-term, incremental program that capitalizes on the unique character of historic downtowns.

The Main Street program was created and trademarked by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and has more than 25 years of success in more than 2,000 communities nationwide.

“We want to see how the Main Street program might fit into our downtown area,” Metzger said. “We are looking at ways to improve the signage along the highway to attract and direct more travelers to our downtown area.”

Metzger said the committee has plans to promote the downtown area as the shopping and dining center of the community.

“We are also looking at the historic buildings and homes in the downtown vicinity and trying to come up with a comprehensive walking tour to showcase our community,” he said. “We want to find ways to capitalize on the wonderful history that Troy has to offer. To do so, we need to come up with a comprehensive document explaining what is important to our history and why. We will work hard to accomplish the goals that have been set and then look at additional ways to enhance our downtown area.”