Main Street Blog

Main Street Blog

COVID-19 Community Response Roundup: Caring for Caretakers & Teddy Bear Hunts

March 30, 2020 | COVID-19 Community Response Roundup: Caring for Caretakers & Teddy Bear Hunts | By: Abby Armato, Communications Coordinator, NMSC | Teddy Bears from Downtown Dublin's Bear Hunt (Photo credit: Downtown Dublin) and hearts on the shop signs around Niantic Main Street (Photo credit: Niantic Main Street) The COVID-19 Community Response blog series features ideas and approaches that local Main Street America programs are taking in response to the pandemic. We will be posting these roundups frequently throughout the duration of the crisis. To view the full collection of roundups as well as access our robust collection of coronavirus-related ...
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Survey on Small Businesses and the Impact of COVID-19

March 27, 2020 | Survey on Small Businesses and the Impact of COVID-19 | Dear Main Street America Friends, If there’s one thing we know at Main Street America, it’s that the numbers matter.   Over the last four decades, the Main Street America Network has painstakingly measured the impact of our work. Those numbers help us articulate the value of our work and make the case for the economic benefit of investing in Main Streets. It’s no exaggeration to say that data is a big part of the reason that our Main Street Network thrives.    Now, I’m asking for your help in gathering more data - this time to help us understand the threats faced by our small businesses ...
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Reminder! Upcoming Webinar: Investing Along Main Street

March 26, 2010 | Reminder! Upcoming Webinar: Investing Along Main Street | Join Main Street America (MSA) and the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) to learn about emerging strategies for Main Street revitalization and business growth in Opportunity Zones. Speakers will also share their perspectives on the current economic crisis - its impact on small businesses throughout the nation, Federal efforts to provide relief, and the potential for Opportunity Zones to accelerate an economic recovery.  When: March 30, 11:30am – 1:00pm Central Local leaders are looking to Opportunity Zones as a tool to attract private investment and breathe new ...
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COVID-19 Community Response Roundup: Light Up the Night & Virtual Dance Parties

March 26, 2020 | COVID-19 Community Response Roundup: Light Up the Night & Virtual Dance Parties | By: Abby Armato, Communications Coordinator, NMSC |  Lakewood Alive rallied their community to hang up lights around town as a sign of solidarity as part of their Light the Lakewood Night event. (Photo credit: Lakewood Alive) The COVID-19 Community Response blog series features ideas and approaches that local Main Street America programs are taking in response to the pandemic. We will be posting these roundups frequently throughout the duration of the crisis. To view the full collection of roundups as well as access our robust collection of coronavirus-related ...
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Stand Up for Main Street During COVID-19

March 25, 2020 | Main Street Advocacy During COVID-19 | By: Patrice Frey, President & CEO, National Main Street Center Dear Main Street America Network, We at Main Street America welcome the news that a $2 trillion stimulus bill is nearing passage in the Senate and is anticipated to become law. As of this writing, details are sketchy on the specific programs that are available to support small businesses; we will be working with our partners to better understand these funding opportunities and relay this information to you. Tomorrow, in our webinar featuring the National Federation of Independent Businesses, we expect to be able to share more details ...
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COVID-19 Community Response Roundup: Sidewalk Chalk & Literature Drops

March 23, 2020 | COVID-19 Community Response Roundup: Sidewalk Chalk & Literature Drops | By: Abby Armato, Communications Coordinator, NMSC |  From left to right: Kenosha Downtown, Chinatown Main Street, and Euphoria Coffee The COVID-19 Community Response blog series features ideas and approaches that local Main Street America programs are taking in response to the pandemic. We will be posting these roundups frequently throughout the duration of the crisis. To view the full collection of roundups as well as access our robust collection of coronavirus-related resources, please visit our   COVID-19 Main Street Resources webpage . Learning to Do ...
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Just Announced: Webinars for Main Streets During COVID-19

March 23, 2020 | Just Announced: Webinars for Main Streets During COVID-19 |  Just announced! The National Main Street Center will be hosting two webinars specifically for Main Street programs on the short-term and long-term effects of COVID-19. Learn more in the descriptions below.  COVID-19 & Main Street: Supporting Local Safely Thu, Mar 26, 2020 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM CDT Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Main Street programs across the country have been moving rapidly to offer support to local businesses and the community as a whole. The situation is continually evolving, requiring us to keep abreast of changes from the national policy ...
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COVID-19 Community Response Roundup: Delivery Shuttles & Virtual Happy Hours

March 20, 2020 | COVID-19 Community Response Roundup: Delivery Shuttles & Virtual Happy Hours | By: Abby Armato, Communications Coordinator, NMSC |  Main Street McKinney has converted their downtown passenger shuttle into a delivery shuttle. (Photo credit: Main Street McKinney) The COVID-19 Community Response blog series features ideas and approaches that local Main Street America programs are taking in response to the pandemic. We will be posting these roundups frequently throughout the duration of the crisis. To view the full collection of roundups as well as access our robust collection of coronavirus-related resources, please visit our COVID-19 ...
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Main Street America Selects Four States for Main Street Facade Improvement Grant Program

March 19, 2020 | Main Street America Selects Four States for Main Street Facade Improvement Grant Program  Main Street America (MSA) is pleased to announce Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Wyoming have been selected to participate in the Main Street Facade Improvement Grant Program , made possible by a $746,900 grant from the Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program (HSRP) as administered by the National Park Service (NPS), Department of Interior. The Main Street Facade Improvement Grant Program will significantly expand the funds available for façade improvements in rural communities. In each of the four states selected, three Main Street community ...
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Main Street Resources

March 18, 2020 | Coronavirus (COVID-19) Main Street Resources | Patrice Frey, President and CEO of the National Main Street Center, in a letter to the Network regarding COVID-19. Read the full letter here . As NMSC President and CEO Patrice Frey stated in her letter to the Network last Friday , "Community is at the heart of everything we do." To support our community of Main Street programs during the COVID-19 crisis, we have launched a new resource center webpage to help Main Streets navigate the unique challenges facing our communities during this unprecedented time. We will be compiling existing resources, opportunities, and community response ...
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An Update to the Main Street America Network about COVID-19

March 13, 2020 | An Update to the Main Street America Network about COVID-19 | By: Patrice Frey, President and CEO, National Main Street Center | Dear Main Street America Network, Community is at the heart of everything we do, and as COVID-19 begins to have an increasingly significant impact on communities across the country, I wanted to share what we at Main Street America are doing in response. Obviously, the situation is fluid and changing rapidly. Our foremost concern is for the health and safety of the individuals who make up our network. As an organization, we are taking precautions to limit exposure by implementing a temporary remote work policy for ...
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Community Spotlight: Thinking Outside the (Black) Box in Three Squares, Boston

March 12, 2020 | Community Spotlight: Thinking Outside the (Black) Box in Three Squares, Boston | By: Gerald Robbins, Executive Director, Three Squares Main Street | Artist Melissa Nussbaum Freemen, Drew Hall from the MBTA transit authority, and Gerald Robbins of Three Squares Main Street discuss Store-d Stories and permitting needs. (Photo credit: Three Squares Main Street) Three Squares Main Street in Boston, Mass., has done incredible work to highlight the stories of their local merchants and business owners. Guided by a commitment to telling the full story of their Main Street, this Main Street program has used theater to celebrate the community’s ...
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Metroplex Main Streets: Discover Community Comforts in Colossal Cities and Tiny Towns

March 10, 2020 | Metroplex Main Streets: Discover Community Comforts in Colossal Cities and Tiny Towns | By Andy Rhodes, Texas Historical Commission, Communications Division The charming Main Street community of Waxahachie, just south of Dallas. Photo courtesy of the Texas Historical Commission. The Texas Main Street Program, Texas Historical Commission, and Friends of the Texas Historical Commission will co-host the   2020 Main Street Now Conference   in Dallas, May 18–20, with the opening reception occurring the night of May 17. Get to know our host city, state, and Main Street communities through this special blog series.   Conference registration ...
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Main Street Now Conference Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

March 9, 2020 |  Main Street Now Conference Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: A Note from President & CEO Patrice Frey Dear Main Street Now Conference attendees, Main Street America is actively monitoring the news regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19). In preparation for the Main Street Now Conference in Dallas this May, we will be following recommendations from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services. The CDC and Texas Department of State Health Services are not currently recommending the cancellation of gatherings of our scope and scale (under 2500 individuals with very limited international ...
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Using Storytelling to Grow Engagement and Reinforce the Value of Your Main Street Program

March 6, 2020 | Using Storytelling to Grow Engagement and Reinforce the Value of Your Main Street Program | By: Brian Ostrovsky, Founder & CEO, Locable | To capture the story of your Main Street's events and projects, like Downtown Sounds in Downtown Bellingham , Wash., start with a comprehensive digital content strategy. (Photo credit: Downtown Bellingham) When communicating the efforts of your Main Street program, it’s easy to fall into the trap of just speaking in absolutes. Promoting ideas, mantras, taglines, and concepts like the Main Street Approach are powerful but can be confusing for locals if you don’t provide context. While your mantras ...
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Main Spotlight: Youth on Main Street

March 4, 2020 | Main Spotlight: Youth on Main Street | By: Abby Armato, Communications Coordinator, NMSC |  This month, we are celebrating YOUTH —both the young people who are making a difference in our downtowns and the downtowns that are making spaces for young people to blossom on Main Street. These initiatives and accomplishments come in all shapes and sizes—from bold youth media programs to young entrepreneurs opening their own businesses downtown—and we are excited to celebrate these stories throughout the month of March and beyond. We have gathered some of our favorite stories from around the Main Street America Network showcasing Youth on Main Street. ...
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Introducing New Research Efforts for Main Street

March 3, 2020 | Introducing New Research Efforts for Main Street | National Main Street Center NMSC's Lindsey Wallace & Matt Wagner connected with Cambridge Main Street in Cambridge, Ohio in February as a part of Ohio Entrepreneurs: Supporting Place-Based Small Business Development on Main Street. In partnership with Heritage Ohio , this new program focuses on entrepreneurship in Main Streets in Appalachian Ohio. Credit: Lindsey Wallace As we look to the future of the Main Street movement, one thing is clear: in today’s increasingly competitive economic climate, Main Streets must be able to make the case for why what we do matters. With a forty-year ...
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Welcome to Hannah Mira Friedland, our new Membership & Administrative Assistant

March 3, 2020 | Welcome to Hannah Mira Friedland, our new Membership & Administrative Assistant We are pleased to announce that Hannah Mira Friedland has joined the National Main Street Center team as our new Membership and Administrative Assistant. In this role, Hannah Mira serves as the primary contact for membership support and executes the administrative operations of our membership program ensuring Main Street communities have access to their benefits and feel supported by the Center. She also provides administrative support to the Main Street team by taking on office management duties, meeting logistics, and contract management. Hannah Mira comes ...
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Preserving Black Culture

February 27, 2020 | Preserving Black Culture | By Brent Leggs, Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation “The past and future merge to meet us here,” Beyoncé tells us in her highly acclaimed visual album, Lemonade. As it happens, her words reveal the crux of America’s current debate over how our collective past is represented in our culture and public spaces. In everything from the musical Hamilton, to the fate of Confederate monuments, the central question of how our history is embodied in our collective culture and landscape has returned with fresh urgency. That’s why it’s time ...
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Main Spotlight: Black Wall Streets on Main Street

February 26, 2020 | Black Wall Streets on Main Street | By Dionne Baux | A mural in Greenwood commemorating Tulsa's Black Wall Street. Credit: Daniel Jeffries, Tulsa Planning Office While on a recent resource team visit to Washington D.C.’s U Street Main Street at Ben’s Chili Bowl, I was struck by U Street’s cultural and economic significance to the African American community and the number of districts UrbanMain is working with that once served as cultural and economic centers for African Americans in the early 20 th century. As we celebrate Black History Month, I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight Main Street districts in Atlanta, Ga. ...
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