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Main Street Blog

Community Spotlight: Main Street Hampton

October 11, 2018 | Community Spotlight: Main Street Hampton | Main Street Hampton's Farm-to-Table Dinner Photo credit: Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Last month, Main Street Hampton hosted a Food and Friends Farm-to-Table dinner at the Rustic Brew during Main Street Iowa Restaurant Week . In partnership with the Hampton Dumont Schools and Healthy Harvest of North Iowa, the menu featured  locally-grown products from Franklin County and North Central Iowa. Eating locally and healthy was the main objective for the dinner experience. With the guidance of Healthy Harvest of North Iowa, a meal was planned and prepared by the ProStart ...
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Seattle, a City of Neighborhoods

October 10, 2018 | Seattle, a City of Neighborhoods| By Cathy Wickwire, Washington Trust for Historic Preservation  The Emerald City Trolley in Chinatown-International District, Seattle, WA. Photo by Alabastro Photography Washington Main Street will co-host the 2019 Main Street Now Conference in Seattle, March 25-27. Get to know our host city through this special pre-conference blog series. Conference registration opens November 1. Much has been made of late of Seattle’s current status as the country’s biggest boom-town with 114,000 residents added since 2010 . As eye-popping as those numbers are, it’s not the city’s largest population ...
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Community Spotlight: Historic Real Estate Finance Training

October 4, 2018 | Community Spotlight: Historic Real Estate Finance Training in Historic Valley Junction in West Des Moines, Iowa |  On tour in Historic Valley Junction  in West Des Moines, Iowa during the National Development Council Historic Real Estate Finance training. Thanks to Jim Miller and team for showing us how these deals get done. The Main Street America Institute (MSAI) recently partnered with the National Development Council (NDC) to offer Historic Real Estate Finance, part one of a two course certificate program, in Des Moines, Iowa last week. With generous support from the 1772 Foundation, 28 participants completed the immersive, ...
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Creating Engaging Walking Tours

October 3, 2018 | Main Spotlight: Creating Engaging Walking Tours | By Ron Cook, Co-Founder of Distrx Creating a historic or art walking tour is much more than simply a collection of pictures and descriptions. Your tour represents an opportunity to engage your visitors in a rich and immersive manner, leaving them with a memorable experience they will share with others. Making your visitors active participants through walking tours and other interactive activities means they will leave having learned something about your community, in many cases something they may not have known before. In planning your walking tour, think about your audience and ...
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Introducing UrbanMain.org

October 2, 2018 | Introducing UrbanMain.org One year ago, the National Main Street Center introduced UrbanMain, a new program to help communities restore economic vitality and promote quality of life for residents in under-resourced older and historic neighborhood commercial districts. It’s been remarkable year and we are so proud of all that we have accomplished and learned together. Today we are pleased to introduce the program’s new digital home, urbanmain.org! Head over to the new site to learn about more about UrbanMain’s specialized services and trainings , time-tested approach , and current work in communities across the country. Our technical ...
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Community Spotlight: Partners in Preservation 2018

September 27, 2018 | Community Spotlight: Partners in Preservation 2018 | #VoteYourMainStreet | Earlier this week, we announced the launch of  Partners in Preservation: Main Street , in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, American Express, and National Geographic. From community gathering spaces to retail incubators, from small towns to big cities – this year’s projects and communities are a testament to the diversity of Main Streets across the country.   You can help decide which Main Street sites will be awarded $2 million in American-Express-funded grants. Show your favorite Main Streets some love by voting once a day ...
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New Initiative for Community Revitalization Launches in California

September 26, 2018 | New Initiative for Community Revitalization Launches in California |  The California Main Street Alliance (CAMSA) Board of Directors and the National Main Street Center announced the launch of a new statewide initiative to reinvigorate local economies and support historic downtowns in California. This new partnership will bring a wide range of new training, technical assistance, and Main Street America certification directly to rural, suburban, and urban communities throughout California. “Our California program has been managed with volunteer board members and part-time staffing for almost 15 years,” states Rachael Snedecor, Executive ...
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Bring Small Business Saturday to your Main Street

September 26, 2018 | Bring Small Business Saturday to your Main Street |  We are proud to support Small Business Saturday®, a day and a movement that brings people together to celebrate the places they love each year — from local bike shops to boutiques to bakeries. We hope you will join us this November 24 and help make the day a success by applying to be a Neighborhood Champion. Apply to be a Neighborhood Champion at  ShopSmall.com/NMSC .   What does a Neighborhood Champion do? Organize and host an event to help your community celebrate on November 24. It could be a kick-off breakfast event, a welcome station, or a Shop Small® scavenger hunt. Find ...
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Partners in Preservation 2018: Vote Your Main Street

September 24, 2018 | Partners in Preservation 2018: Vote Your Main Street Main Street America has joined the National Trust for Historic Preservation, American Express, and National Geographic for  Partners in Preservation: Main Streets !  Your  votes will decide which Main Street sites in need of preservation support will be awarded $2 million in American Express-funded grants. From September 24 through October 26 , you can vote for up to five Main Streets once a day to receive a share of the funding at  VoteYourMainStreet.org . We also invite you to share your experiences and celebrate your favorite Main Street sites on social media using  ...
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Community Spotlight: Made on Main Street in Prosser, Washington

September 19, 2018 | Community Spotlight: Made on Main Street in Prosser, Washington | Team members from OneMain Financial, Historic Downtown Prosser, Washington Main Street, and the National Main Street Center greeted guests at the Made on Main Street event on September 9, 2018. (Photo credits: Norma Ramirez de Miess and Natalie Lucci Photography ) OneMain   Financial and   Historic Downtown Prosser   hosted a community event on September 9, in beautiful downtown Prosser, Wash. Over 300 attendees enjoyed a family-friendly block party that celebrated the community and showcased Prosser's upcoming streetscape improvement project. The Historic ...
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Main Streets Speak Up for National Parks

September 18, 2018 | Main Spotlight:   Main Streets Speak Up for National Parks   | By Renee Kuhlman,   Director of Policy Outreach at the National Trust for Historic Preservation  | Jann Mirkov and Yvonne Knowles (3 rd and 4 th from the left) and other park advocates with Terry Camp, staff to the House Natural Resources Committee. Photo credit: Pam Bowman, Director of Public Lands Policy at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In 2017, the National Park System received an  estimated 331 million  visits.  Visitors to our nation’s parks spent  an estimated $18. 2 billion  in communities located within 60 ...
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Emily Wallrath Schmidt to depart NMSC

September 13, 2018 | After three years of service, Emily Wallrath Schmidt will be leaving her position as Manager of Communications at the National Main Street Center to pursue a new opportunity with the Chicago Bungalow Association. Emily’s last day in the office will be Thursday, September 13.  Emily has brought so much to our team during a crucial time of growth for the new organization, expanding the Center’s social media presence, playing a key role in the launch of Main Street America and Urban Main, and deepening the impact of our work though stellar storytelling. We’ll especially miss Emily’s witty sense of humor and her uncanny ability to make ...
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Neighborhood News: Chicago UrbanMain Update

September 12, 2018 | Neighborhood News: Chicago UrbanMain Update | By Dionne Baux, Director of Urban Programs, National Main Street Center We recently toured Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood with South East Chicago Commission's Eric Reaves, Chandra Rouse of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and David Meni from Councilwoman Brianne Nadeau's Ward 1 office in Washington, D.C. Happy end-of-summer Neighborhood News readers! We hope you enjoyed a season filled with successes and new learnings. As fall approaches we would like to share a brief update on the National Main Street Center’s (NMSC) UrbanMain initiative and feed your curious community ...
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Study Trip Recap

September 11, 2018 | Study Trip Recap | By Amanda Elliott, Richmond Main Street This summer, the National Main Street Center hosted Amanda Elliot, Richmond Main Street Executive Director, for a four-day Study Trip as part of her two-year Fellowship program with LeaderSpring. The LeaderSpring Fellowship program works with executives of community-based organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area to develop and sustain effective leaders for organizations and communities. LeaderSpring aims to enhance nonprofit capacity and improve services to low-income communities through collaboration and fostering partnerships. I had a fantastic Study Trip visiting ...
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The Great, Big, Beautiful Pacific Northwest

September 10, 2018 | By Breanne Durham, Washington Main Street Coordinator, Washington Trust for Historic Preservation THE GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL PACIFIC NORTHWEST Kayaking in the Puget Sound affords great views of the Seattle skyline. Visit Seattle, courtesy of Alki Kayak Tours Washington Main Street will co-host the 2019 Main Street Now Conference in Seattle, March 25-27. Get to know our host city, state and Main Street communities through this special blog series. Conference registration opens November 1. Shortly after I moved to Seattle three years ago, my now father-in-law asked with more than a little skepticism what I liked about my ...
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Community Spotlight: Cambridge, Maryland

September 5, 2018 | Downtown Cambridge Installs Electric Vehicle Chargers Photo credit: Downtown Cambridge Downtown Cambridge ’s electric vehicle charging stations officially launched August 7 with a ribbon cutting and demonstration event. Cambridge is the first Main Street community in Maryland to install public chargers, which include three Tesla destination units and one ClipperCreek universal unit. Downtown Cambridge hopes the chargers will encourage electric vehicle drivers to stop and refuel more than just their car. “It’s an opportunity to encourage new faces to travel downtown and have a look around, possibly visit our brewery, shops, ...
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Chicago UrbanMain Applications Due Oct 1

September 4, 2018 |  Chicago commercial district programs invited to apply for suite of UrbanMain technical services. The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce a second-round opportunity for Chicago neighborhoods through UrbanMain . This new program will support commercial district revitalization efforts in Chicago neighborhoods, thanks to the generous support of the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation . Applications are due October 1. Download the Request for Proposals . UrbanMain, launched in September 2017, was designed to support the needs of urban commercial districts in distressed neighborhoods through a suite of tailored technical services ...
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New Market Tax Credit Bill, Rural Jobs Act Introduced in House

August 30, 2018 | New Market Tax Credit Bill, Rural Jobs Act Introduced in House, 400 Main Street Communities Eligible | Under the new legislation, $1 billion in additional NMTC allocation would be targeted exclusively to the Rural Jobs Zones highlighted on this map . Credit: New Markets Tax Credit Coalition The Rural Jobs Zone Act of 2018 (H.R. 6627) was introduced in late July by Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO) and Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL), both members of the Ways and Means Committee. The proposed legislation would authorize an additional $500 million New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation in both 2018 and 2019. This new allocation ...
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Community Spotlight: Ames, Iowa

August 29, 2018 | Community Spotlight: Ames, Iowa | Ames Main Street Rocks RAGBRI Approximately 15,000 people came out for Ames Main Street’s RAGBRAI party (on a Tuesday night!), which featured 12 bands and 20 food trucks. This photo of the Spazmatics concert was taking from an upper floor apartment window by downtown resident Nitin Gadia. Last month, Downtown Ames hosted a festival for the 46 th annual RAGBRAI race (The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). Every year, the bike ride takes a different route through Iowa, stopping in a different city each night. The last time RAGBRAI came through town was in 2008, before Ames joined ...
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Update: Federal Historic Tax Credit Advocacy

August 28, 2018 | Update: Federal Historic Tax Credit Advocacy | By Shaw Sprague, Senior Director of Government Relations, National Trust for Historic Preservation   Historic tax credits were used to convert the Steele Mansion in Painesville, Ohio, into a bed and breakfast and event center. David Polakowski, Downtown Painesville Organization Executive Director, and Joyce Barrett, Heritage Ohio Executive Director, join with Representative David Joyce (R-OH) (in the center of the photo) and and city officials on the building's front porch. Photo credit: Heritage Ohio As we make our way through the Congressional summer recess, where (typically) elected ...
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