* FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * Contact: Kevin Wolfe (cell) 516-732-6961 kevin@kevinwolfearchitect.com October 10, 2011    REVITALIZATION EXPERT NORMAN MINTZ TO SPEAK IN DOUGLASTON OCTOBER 20th             Norman Mintz, the nationally renowned “Dr. Downtown,” will be speaking on October 20th at 8 pmat the Community Church of Douglaston, 39-50 Douglaston Parkway, about his work revitalizing Main Streets and commercial centers large and small.Mintz is a consultant team member of the Downtown Revitalization Group, which has been retained to prepare a Strategic Action Plan for the Douglaston Village Revitalization effort.   This event is the first in a series of public workshops to be given by experts in the field of downtown revitalization, and to be held in Douglaston this fall and winter. The workshops are intended to stimulate discussion and community involvement to help preserve andtransform the Douglaston Village into a vibrant commercial district.   Norman Mintz has specialized for more than 30 years in providing successful solutions for the revitalization of Main Streets and downtowns, and has worked in more than 100 communities around the country (bio attached).  In addition to being a consultant and an advocate for historic preservation, he is a visiting professor at the Pratt Institute’s graduate Urban Planning program and the co-author of “Cities Back From the Edge: New Life For Downtown.”   A wine and cheese reception will follow.  This event is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by The Douglaston Local Development Corporation, The Douglaston Village Chamber of Commerce and The Douglaston and Little Neck Historical Society.   Norman Mintz Senior Associate   Norman Mintz is an urban designer and historic preservationist who specializes in building façade restoration, storefront rehabilitation and design of streetscape furniture as they relate to downtown revitalization.   Norman has played a major role in the field of downtown revitalization since his pioneering role as this country’s first Main Street manager in Corning, N.Y. and most recently in his work with the 34th Street Partnership in New York City.   In a period of over twenty-five years, he has become noted for illustrating how low-cost, easy to implement design recommendations can increase the value of a property owners building, while improving the business image of the retail tenant. He has most recently coordinated the use and placement of street amenities to form a comprehensive model streetscape program for mid-town Manhattan. His involvement has included design collaboration with industrial designers and architects on customized streetscape elements, including newsstands, information kiosks, lighting, and telephone booths.   Norman served as the first full-time director (1974-1982) of the nationally known Market Street Restoration Program in Corning, New York. While director, he was responsible for developing and implementing over 90 storefront and façade improvements; designing over 125 new business signs; and creating numerous street and promotional events.   With PPS, Norman has worked on a number of downtown commercial revitalization projects, including projects in Hoboken, NJ, Atlanta, GA, Pittsfield, MA, Poughkeepsie, NY, Catskill, NY, and Farmington Avenue in Hartford, CT. He served as a consultant to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, having directed and written the slide tape “Signs for Main Street” as well as the technical monograph on the same subject.   Norman is also recognized as the first “Main Street” manager and helped initiate the concept of the downtown manager now used extensively by the National Main Street Center. Norman is a frequent lecturer and teaches a course in neighborhood commercial revitalization in the Preservation Planning Program at Pratt Institute. He recently co-authored the book, Cities Back From The Edge: New Life For Downtown, published by John Wiley and Sons, which chronicles how communities around the country have revitalized their commercial centers using modest and innovative approaches that have proved highly successful.   Education Columbia University, Master of Science in Historic Preservation Pratt Institute, Bachelor of Industrial Design   Awards Meritorious Service Award for Urban Design Implementation, American Planning Association, N.Y. Metropolitan Chapter, 1993. Special Recognition Main Street Award, New York State Department of State, 1983. First Award, Downtown Development Awards Competition, Downtown Research and Development Center, 1981. Gordon Gray Award, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1979. Award Winner, Design and Environment Magazine, 1977.   Publications Cities Back From the Edge: New Life For Downtown, John Wiley & Sons, 1998. Signs for Main Street, published by the National Main Street Center, 1988. Practical Guide to Storefront Rehabilitation, published by the Preservation League of New York State, revised and expanded, 1982. Utilizing the Assets of Main Street, one of a series of articles published by the Preservation League of New York State, 1981. Preservation in Downtown Revitalization, published by HUD Challenge Magazine, July 1979.   Professional Affiliations Board of Directors, New York Main Street Alliance Trustees Council, Preservation League of New York State Board of Directors, Market Street Restoration Corporation Member, National Main Street Center Member, Historic Districts Council