In Louisiana, the Main Street program serves as a valuable economic development tool and provides a major return on investment, including 2,709 new businesses, 11,490 new jobs, $342 million in private investment dollars, $227 million in public investment dollars and 863,063 volunteer hours.

The goal of Main Street is to revitalize the downtown of small towns through both historic preservation efforts and economic development. The City of Bastrop first received its main street designation in 2000.