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Main Street Blog

Allied Member Spotlight: Business Districts Inc.

June 14, 2018 | Allied Member Spotlight: Business Districts, Inc. | Our   Allied Network   is made up of companies and consultants that provide products and services related to downtown revitalization and economic development. Whether you specialize in market analysis, architectural design, beautiful event banners, or state of the art park benches,  Allied membership  provides you with an invaluable way to promote your goods or services to the Main Street America network.  This week, we sat down for a Q&A with  Diane Williams, Director of  Business Districts, Inc. , the premier provider of business district services to local governments ...
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Call for Proposals: 2019 Main Street Now Conference

June 13, 2018 | Call for Proposals: 2019 Main Street Now Conference | The National Main Street Center is seeking education session proposals for the 2019 Main Street Now Conference . Convened annually, Main Street Now showcases implementable best practices, time-tested solutions and innovative ideas from our national network of practitioners, as well as those in adjacent fields who share in the goal of creating economic and social prosperity in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. This year, along with our hosts at the Washington State Main Street Program , we will explore Main Street programs from the inside out, centering on the hard-work of ...
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GAMSA Applications Due June 22

June 12, 2018 | GAMSA Applications Due June 22 |  Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners represent the resilient spirit and bright future of Main Streets across the country. Applications for GAMSA 2019 are due on Friday, June 22 (midnight CST). All Main Street America Accredited Programs are encouraged to apply!  Apply now > Each year, Main Street America, a program of the National Main Street Center, celebrates the country’s best examples of comprehensive commercial district revitalization. Winners are selected from a nationwide pool of applicants by a national jury based on successful and innovative uses of the Main Street Approach™. ...
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Main Street Fourth Photo Contest

June 12, 2018 | #MainStreetFourth Photo Contest ​ In honor of Independence Day, we want to celebrate the patriotic spirit of your Main Street! From now through July 4, tag your snapshots with #MainStreetFourth on Facebook , Instagram   or  Twitter . We’ll re-share the photos (and videos!) that truly stand out. Whether it be fireworks, parades, barbecues, live music, block parties, street fairs, or any other special activity...we can’t wait to see all that red, white and blue! Questions? Email mainstreetnews@savingplaces.org for help.  #Blogs #Announcement
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Community Spotlight: Zuni Pueblo MainStreet

June 6, 2018 | Community Spotlight: Zuni Pueblo MainStreet | The Zuni Pueblo MainStreet is the nation's first (and so far, only) Native American Main Street community. In 2012, the Zuni Pueblo MainStreet organization was created to encourage revitalization of its local economy while continuing to preserve the unique traditional and historic elements of Zuni Pueblo. Nestled in a scenic valley in northwest New Mexico, Zuni Pueblo is referred to as  Halona: Idiwan’a  (the Middle Place) and is surrounded by enchanting mesas. The main reservation is in both McKinley and Cibola counties in the western part of New Mexico, often referred to as the “Four Corners” ...
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Coffee Q and A with Dionne Baux

June 1, 2018 | Coffee Q&A with Dionne Baux, Director of Urban Programs | Over a cup of coffee Dionne Baux, Director of Urban Programs, shared a bit more about herself and UrbanMain —the National Main Street Center’s newest program focused on supporting transformation in under-resourced big-city neighborhood commercial districts. Don’t miss her list of the top trends affecting neighborhood commercial districts in 2018. UrbanMain officially launched in September 2017. Can you explain a bit about what UrbanMain is? UrbanMain builds on the National Main Street Center’s 40 years in commercial district revitalization utilizing Main Street’s Four-Point ...
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UrbanMain District Spotlight: Danville, Virginia

May 31, 2018 | UrbanMain District Spotlight: Danville, Virginia |  This past month, the Danville River District Association in Virginia invited the National Main Street Center’s Dionne Baux to present “Developing and Championing Cultural Business Districts,” a workshop for local stakeholders about the steps for developing a district that represents the breadth of cultural identities present in the area and their histories. Baux’s presentation gave an overview of successful cultural business districts throughout the country and reviewed detailed steps for creating partnerships, establishing funding, and marketing. Baux noted immediate steps that Danville ...
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Allied Member Spotlight: Western Design

May 30, 2018 | Allied Member Spotlight: Western Design LLC Our   Allied Network   is made up of companies and consultants that provide products and services related to downtown revitalization and economic development. Whether you specialize in market analysis, architectural design, beautiful event banners, or state of the art park benches,  Allied membership  provides you with an invaluable way to promote your goods or services to the Main Street America network.  This week, we sat down for a Q&A with Western Design LLC, a full-service professional seasonal and holiday decorator focusing  on providing  commercial Christmas decorations  that ...
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Main Street Gone Mobile: How to Develop an Effective Mobile Marketing Strategy

May 29, 2018 | By Dr. Ron Cook, distrx CEO and Co-founder | Main Street Spotlight |    Photo courtesy of Ron Cook As with every aspect of our economy, we live in a world of constant and rapid change. Responding to trends that directly impact our Main Street is essential to our survival and success. In his post-great recession bestselling book The Great Reset , author Richard Florida made two predictions I believe directly impact Main Street communities across the country. The first declared, “How we live, work, shop and get around will change.” Certainly, we can all agree that has been true, and we will see continued change in the years ahead. Florida’s ...
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2019 GAMSA Webinar Recap

May 22, 2018 | Great American Main Street Awards: An Insider's Guide Each year, the National Main Street Center recognizes exceptional Main Street communities whose successes serve as a model for comprehensive, preservation-based commercial district revitalization with the Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA). Since the award’s inception in 1995, over 90 Main Street programs have been honored. The application  for the 2019 Great American Main Street Award will be open from Monday, May 7 - Friday, June 22 (midnight CST). All Main Street America Accredited Programs are encouraged to apply!  To listen to the audio recording of the 2019 GAMSA ...
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Introducing: The Point

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new online member community: The Point . This powerful member-exclusive tool makes it easier than ever to network with your peers across the country, any place and any time. The Point enables you to: Connect and communicate directly with peers. Access user-generated document libraries. Share resources and post questions online. Receive daily email digests of community activity and participate directly from your inbox. Here are just a few of the people you’ll meet when you tap into the collective knowledge and energy of the Main Street America™ Network:                     Check out Chad's profile ...
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Made on Main Street Project Grants Announced

May 16, 2018 | OneMain Financial and Main Street America Announce Six Winning Cities to Receive $25,000 'Made on Main Street' Project Grants “Made on Main Street”, a partnership program between OneMain Financial and Main Street America that provides community action grants for innovative beautification projects, today announced six cities from across the nation that will each receive a $25,000 grant to help improve their local communities. The six winning cities are Mesa, Arizona; Brunswick, Georgia; Charlotte, Michigan; Painesville, Ohio; The Dalles, Oregon; and Prosser, Washington. These cities join Goldsboro, North Carolina, which was awarded the first ...
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Allied Member Spotlight: Rokusek

May 15, 2018 | Allied Member Spotlight: Rokusek |  Our   Allied Network   is made up of companies and consultants that provide products and services related to downtown revitalization and economic development. Whether you specialize in market analysis, architectural design, beautiful event banners, or state of the art park benches,  Allied membership  provides you with an invaluable way to promote your goods or services to the Main Street America network.  Here's a Q&A with Rokusek, a creative communications firm that specializes in consulting, brand strategy and custom development.  How long has your business has been around? 29 Years ...
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Thank You for Saving the Historic Tax Credit

May 15, 2018 | Thank You for Saving the Historic Tax Credit! |  Dear Main Street Colleagues, I can hardly believe it’s been seven weeks since we convened in Kansas City for the 2018 Main Street Now Conference. The opportunity to connect with you all and explore new ideas in the field always leaves me inspired, and I hope you feel the same.   This year, a particular highlight was our celebration of the success of the campaign to save the Historic Tax Credit (HTC). Collectively, we raised our voices – calling legislators, circulating sign-on letters, educating stakeholders – and it worked! The HTC was preserved because of the dogged work of so many of ...
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Wilson Artsy Alleys: Creatively Connecting the Community

May 15, 2018 | Main Spotlight | Wilson Artsy Alleys: Creatively Connecting the Community |  As part of the Edward Jones Placemaking on Main Challenge , Historic Downtown Wilson creatively connected the community —  one artsy alley at a time. Ellen Hoj of Main Street Wilson shares more about the project that transformed their alleys into fun passages and destinations. Historic Downtown Wilson  is home to several alleys, which, like many in Main Streets, are underutilized public spaces.  Wilson Artsy Alleys is an initiative of the Wilson Downtown Development Corporation which takes the arts to new locations in forgotten places. In various areas ...
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Community Spotlight: Mini-Grants Offered to Small Businesses in Jefferson, Iowa

May 10, 2018 | Community Spotlight | Mini-Grants Offered to Small Businesses in Jefferson, Iowa Spring is a great time for improvement. The Jefferson Rotary Club partnered with Jefferson Matters: Main Street to offer mini-grants for building facades and storefront signage to two dozen businesses for up to $500 each. The Building Façade Mini-grant is for façade improvements for up to $500 and can include paint, window & door replacement or the removal of non-conforming elements. The Storefront Signage mini-grant is a matching grant for up to $500. This is a 50/50 match for new wall mount and projecting signage on the exterior of the business.   To receive ...
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Main Street Roots Run Deep in Downtown Wytheville

May 8, 2018 | Main Street Spotlight | Main Street Roots Run Deep in Downtown Wytheville | By Todd Wolford, Executive Director of Downtown Wytheville | Todd posing next to the Edith Bolling Wilson timeline mural at the Heritage Walk in Downtown Wytheville. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Main Street in Downtown Wytheville, Virginia was the place to be. Locals from that era always mention the Soda Shop and share stories of what it was like back in the day. Upon returning home from World War II, William “Ed” Goff owned and operated the local hot spot. If you were from Wytheville or the surrounding area at the time, you certainly remember this ...
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Allied Member Spotlight: Pointy

May 3, 2018 | Allied Member Spotlight: Pointy | Our Allied Network is made up of companies and consultants that provide products and services related to downtown revitalization and economic development. Whether you specialize in market analysis, architectural design, beautiful event banners, or state of the art park benches,  Allied membership  provides you with an invaluable way to promote your goods or services to the Main Street America network.  This week, we sat down for a Q&A with Pointy , a retail tech company that works with thousands of main street retailers all across the USA. Pointy helps local brick and mortar retailers be found online ...
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Main Street America Institute: Last Chance to Register for Advanced Principles of Quality Design

May 2, 2018 | Main Street America Institute: Last Chance to Register for Advanced Principles of Quality Design | When a community puts people first, good design follows. In Main Street America Institute’s May course, join the National Main Street Center’s Lindsey Wallace for an investigation into the role of design in shaping our downtown districts, from streetscapes to parking.  Advanced Principles of Quality Design  will take a deep-dive into the physical characteristics of Main Streets, underscoring the need for people-centered design processes. Using the newly released  Main Street Approach Design Guide  as a basis for exploration and expansion,  ...
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A Memorable Makeover on Main Street

May 1, 2018 | Main Street Spotlight | A Memorable Makeover on Main Street | By Allie Jeka, Retailworks |                 Retailworks’ display artists and WEDC team up to work on the visual merchandising of the cafe’s retail products.  Photo credit: Retailworks, Inc. “Five! Four! Three! Two! One!” City officials chanted as a giant tarp was removed from the facade of Annie’s Fountain City Cafe, a favorite local gathering place and coffee shop. They were anxiously waiting to see the transformation that had occurred over the past two days: an interior and exterior renovation that had cafe owner, Annie Culver, beaming with tears in her eyes. ...
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