Main Street Blog

Main Street Blog

Community Spotlight: Mesquite Small Business Workshops Power Up Odds for Entrepreneurial Success

August 16, 2019 | Community Spotlight: Mesquite Small Business Workshops ‘Power Up’ Odds for Entrepreneurial Success | E4 workshop attendees are briefed on banking products at the second of four Entrepreneurship to the Fourth Power workshops. Photo credit: City of Mesquite We’ve all been there – a downtown business prospect has a great idea, a location all picked out, and a lot of enthusiasm. Then there’s this: the prospect doesn’t have a business plan. The marketing plan consists of one social media platform managed casually. Cash flow? What’s that? You mean I have to have a permit for signs? That lack of planning doesn’t bode well for the future ...
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Go Back to School with the Main Street America Institute

August 14, 2019 | Go Back to School with the Main Street America Institute | Register Now for Fall 2019 Courses |  Back to school is not just for future Main Streeters! Summer is coming to a close and the Main Street America Institute is gearing up our fall courses. Check out the list below for professional development opportunities to master new strategies, refresh old skills, and learn from peers across the network! Advanced Principles of Effective Promotion — Tuesdays in September (3, 10, & 17) First, join your commercial district revitalization colleagues from across the country in the online classroom for MSAI’s Advanced Principles of ...
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Main Spotlight: Culinary Destinations as Downtown Development Engines

August 13, 2019 | Main Spotlight: Culinary Destinations as Downtown Development Engines | Case Study: Starkville, Mississippi | By Jennifer Gregory is the President of Downtown Strategies at Retail Strategies | Farm to Fork Dinner, Courtesy of Starkville Main Street.  Photo credit: Logan Kirkland “Farm to table” has become a national trend, but in Starkville, Mississippi, it’s been happening for years - it’s part of what makes the city unique. Residents and visitors have come to expect locally owned restaurants to push the envelope with unique menu items, locally sourced ingredients, and unusual partnerships. This is large part due to a rebranding ...
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Community Spotlight: Main Street Siloam Springs Kickstarts A Minute in History, a Facebook Live Series

August 8, 2019 | Community Spotlight: Main Street Siloam Springs Kickstarts A Minute in History, a Facebook Live Series | Photo credit: Main Street Siloam Springs This past year, Main Street Siloam Springs started a new Facebook Live video series called "A Minute In History." These videos are sponsored by downtown businesses and feature their beautiful historic buildings and parks. The host of the video series is Abby Trinidad, Events and Marketing Coordinator at Main Street Siloam.  Don Warden, Director of Collections and Research at the   Siloam Springs Museum, has been a staple for supporting the creation of scripts for the video series.   Check ...
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Main Spotlight: How a Local Library Can Jumpstart Cultural, Educational and Entrepreneurial Growth

August 7, 2019 | Main Spotlight: How a Local Library Can Jumpstart Cultural, Educational and Entrepreneurial Growth | By Curtis Rogers, Director of Communications at the Urban Libraries Council | Photo credit: King County Library System In a recent op-ed for the New York Times , renowned economist and Nobel laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz explained the root cause behind our country’s wide income inequality and stagnating income levels: “[W]e forgot that the true source of the wealth of a nation is the creativity and innovation of its people.” Stiglitz’s words echo reporting from the Brookings Institution , Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and other leading ...
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Allied Member Spotlight: Resonance

August 1, 2019 | Allied Member Spotlight: Resonance | This week, we caught up with Jennifer E. Goldman, President of Resonance — a management consulting firm focused on giving nonprofit organizations the tools they need to operate as successful businesses through planning, assessments, and program development. Number of years business has been around? Four years (established in April 2015) Where are you located? Vint Hill, Virginia What is the most rewarding aspect of working with Main Streets? I used to manage a Main Street community organization, so for me the most rewarding aspect is being able to affect positive change in many communities, ...
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Main Spotlight: Introducing We Are Main Street

July 30, 2019 | Main Spotlight: Introducing We Are Main Street | We all know that Main Street is so much more than just a place. For close to 40 years, the Main Street movement has been so successful because of the people who have dedicated their time, talents, and energy to improving our downtowns and commercial districts. As a movement, Main Street is about building community connections and mobilizing citizens from all walks of life around a shared purpose. We want to know what that looks like in your community. That’s why we’re excited to announce the We Are Main Street campaign, which we previewed at the Main Street Now conference in Seattle. ...
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Register Now for the 2019 Community Transformation Workshop

July 25, 2019 | Register Now for the 2019 Community Transformation Workshop |  The Main Street America Institute’s 2019 Community Transformation Workshop will be based in Richmond, VA, October 23-25. The three-day workshop will feature hands-on, data-driven learning opportunities and visit two Virginia Main Street communities, Fredericksburg and Hopewell. Join in this educational experience with colleagues from across the country for in-depth knowledge of the Main Street Approach and Economic Vitality!   What will you learn and experience at the workshop? Pre-workshop : If you are arriving early on Tuesday, October 22, join us for a Richmond Arts ...
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Main Spotlight: The Great American Rail-Trail

July 23, 2019 | Main Spotlight: The Great American Rail-Trail | By Kevin Belanger, Trail Planner at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy |  Capital Crescent Trail, located in Maryland and Washington, D.C. | Photo by Hung Tran The Main Street movement is centered on the belief that neighborhoods with rich character, a thriving local economy, and inviting public spaces should be accessible to everyone—whether in small towns, big cities, or somewhere in between. At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), this too has been our vision for more than three decades, as we’ve championed connectivity within and between communities through the use of public trails. This year, ...
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Staff Spotlight: Kathy La Plante, Senior Program Officer and Director of Coordinating Program Services

July 18, 2019 |  Staff Spotlight: Kathy La Plante, Senior Program Officer and Director of Coordinating Program Services | This month, we’re highlighting Kathy La Plante, who flew nearly 130,000 miles last year to visit and provide technical services to Main Street communities across the country. Kathy has worked in the Main Street field for nearly 30 years and refers to her work as the “best job ever.” You can check out Kathy’s full bio here and read on to find out about some of her most memorable experiences in Main Street communities, her thoughts on the future of the movement, and what she likes to do for fun when she’s not on the road. Kathy ...
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Reflecting on Fiscal Year 2019 and the Road Ahead in 2020

July 17, 2019 | Reflecting on Fiscal Year 2019 and the Road Ahead in 2020 | By Patrice Frey, President and CEO, National Main Street Center | Dear Main Street Colleagues, Last week, I had the privilege of going on my annual Main Street road trip, a journey that has become somewhat of a tradition for me since I joined the NMSC six years ago. As in previous years, my family tagged along - this year I was joined by my parents, my cousins from Nebraska, and my two Wallys - one little (age 3.5), and one big (husband).(Little Wally is available as a volunteer to water plants on Main Street – see photo.) Together, we visited three Main Street communities in Wyoming: ...
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Mapping Where History and Opportunity Meet

July 12, 2019 | Mapping Where History and Opportunity Meet | By Anthony Veerkamp, Shaw Sprague, and Dan Watts |  Included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Opportunity Zones are perhaps the single largest new federal tax incentive in decades. Designed to spur private investment to revitalize distressed communities, Opportunity Zones have the potential to direct   trillions   of dollars in deferred capital gains taxes to transform 8,700 distressed census tracts—a prospect at once thrilling and alarming to preservationists and community activists. The Tax Cut and Jobs Act that established Opportunity Zones did not detail exactly how the incentive ...
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Allied Member Spotlight: Gama Sonic Solar Lighting

July 11, 2019 | Allied Member Spotlight: Gama Sonic Solar Lighting | This week, we caught up with Matt Cohen, Director of Commercial Sales at Gama Sonic Solar Lighting, a company that creates high-quality, environmentally friendly outdoor solar lighting products that solve the challenges of homeowners, neighborhood associations, park administration services, and commercial property management. Gama Sonic develops, manufactures and markets consumer and commercial/industrial-grade solar-powered, energy efficient, custom lighting solutions. Number of years business has been around? 15 years Where are you located? Norcross, GA. What is ...
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The Restoration of Historic Ghost Wall Signs in Mooresville, North Carolina

July 10, 2019 |  Historic Wall Signs Preserve Mooresville’s Past | By Tim Brown, Town of Mooresville Senior Planner |  Jeremy Russell and Scott Allred, co-owners of Brushcan Custom Murals, step back and admire their handiwork as they make progress on the Goodman Drug/Free Parking sign off Main Street. Photo credit: Cotton Ketchie Located about 30 miles north of Charlotte, North Carolina near Lake Norman, Mooresville has grown to a population of more than 40,000 residents, but the town had humble beginnings. In 1856, a local farmer by the name of John Franklin Moore embraced the railroad that was placed on his land, setting up a depot and encouraging ...
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Celebrating the Network: Main Street in Action

June 27, 2019 | Celebrating the Network: Main Street in Action | Photo credit: Decatur Main Street The organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders working to advance our common cause of fostering vibrant, thriving communities never cease to inspire. From leading the restoration of entire city blocks to cultivating a new generation of entrepreneurs, these changemakers are transforming communities one step at a time. This compilation of success stories illustrates the range and depth of work across the nationwide Main Street America Network. Overwater Overhaul With a panoramic view of the Columbia River and Astoria-Megler Bridge, ...
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Call for Proposals for the 2020 Main Street Now Conference

June 26, 2019 |  Call for Proposals for the 2020 Main Street Now Conference | The National Main Street Center is seeking education session proposals for the 2020 Main Street Now Conference . For 40 years, the Main Street program has created economic impact and improved quality of life through the preservation of historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts throughout the country. At the 2020 Main Street Now Conference in Dallas, Texas, we celebrate this long tradition of excellence in community redevelopment and reinvestment, while focusing on strategic areas of growth for Main Street programs to continue to expand opportunity and strengthen ...
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Historic Real Estate Finance Certification Series Open for Registration for 2019-2020

June 25, 2019 | Historic Real Estate Finance Certification Series Open for Registration for 2019-2020 | The Main Street America Institute, the National Development Council, and the 1772 Foundation are partnering to offer the Historic Real Estate Finance Certification series again for 2019-2020. Join us for this two-part program in Milwaukee (Part 1, November 11-15, 2019) and Baltimore (Part 2, January 13-17, 2020) for in-depth knowledge of the development processes for commercial districts. Successful redevelopment of historic properties requires specific skills: knowledge of the process, understanding of the various incentives available, and an ability ...
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Allied Member Spotlight: Distrx

June 20, 2019 | Allied Member Spotlight: Distrx | This week, we caught up with Distrx , a proximity based mobile marketing platform, app and website designed specifically for Main Street shopping and entertainment districts across the country. Using beacon technology and a user-friendly smartphone application, visitors to a district receive a welcome greeting as they arrive within the district and, as they stroll through the district, shops, restaurants, bars, galleries and attractions present their own welcome greetings, special offers and other information automatically as guests arrive at each merchant location Number of years your business has been ...
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A Warm Welcome to Brittanii Batts, Associate Manager of Projects and Research

June 19, 2019 | A Warm Welcome to Brittanii' Batts, Associate Manager of Projects and Research | The National Main Street Center (NMSC) is excited to welcome Brittanii' Batts to a new role in the organization as Associate Manager of Projects and Research. In this role, Brittanii’ serves as a liaison with potential awardees and potential borrowers. She implements grant reporting schedules, tracks loan repayments, and reviews loan applications and their processes. Working collaboratively with the team, Brittanii’ vets potential revitalization related projects and tracks improvement in loan agreements. Working closely with the Vice President of Revitalization ...
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Opportunities for Main Street in the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act

June 18, 2019 | Opportunities for Main Street in the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act | By Shaw Sprague, Senior  Director of Government Relations for the  National Trust  for Historic Preservation |  The two buildings at 321 and 323 Salinas Street in Syracuse, NY (center) prior to being rehabbed with the federal rehabilitation tax credit. Photo credit: Rick Moriarty One of the key tools to help improve life on Main Street is the federal historic tax credit (HTC). For over 40 years, this incentive has directed capital toward the rehabilitation of historic buildings in every state in the nation. When you consider that roughly half of the ...
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