Have a wonderful holiday season, we will see you in the New Year!

Educational Webinar In December, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) welcomed Matt Wagner, Chief Program Officer for Main Street America, and Rebecca Rowe, Associate Director for DHCD’s Community Revitalization Office, to review the major lessons of the Creating Community Vitality (CCV) Series and discuss how to get your community involved as we … More CCV Series: December 2021 Recap & Additional Resources

Excitingly, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance (HDR) received a 2021 VMS Merit Award for the program’s overall pandemic response! The moment HDR learned of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the community, the organization sprang into action! In early 2020, HDR convened the first meeting of what became the regional Harrisonburg-Rockingham Small Business Assistance Taskforce. HDR … More Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance Receives Merit Award for Overall Pandemic Response

Excitingly, the Town of Big Stone Gap received a 2021 VMS Merit Award for Best Special Event Innovation, which recognizes a successful special event pivot for a district-wide special event designed to build positive community identity and spirit, while maintaining pandemic-era safety measures. During the 4th of July, the Town of Big Stone Gap hosted … More Town of Big Stone Gap Receives Merit Award for Best Special Event Innovation – Hawaiian Luau Party

The Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) encourages economic development and investment through the renovation of vacant and derelict structures in Virginia. Each year, the program awards funding to localities throughout the state to assist market-driven projects that eliminate blight and revitalize our communities. The success of the IRF program over the past nine years, as well … More Register for the Industrial Revitalization Fund Planning Grant How-to-Apply Webinar

GY 2021 Virginia Enterprise Zone (VEZ) – CPA Agreed Upon Procedures Webinar On January 10, 2022, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will hold an in-depth webinar for Certified Public Accountants on the Agreed Upon Procedures for Virginia Enterprise Zone (VEZ) grant incentives, providing detailed instructions on the qualification process for GY 2021 Job Creation Grants … More Register for the GY 2021 Virginia Enterprise Zone CPA Agreed Upon Procedures and How-to-Qualify Webinars

Excitingly, Rex Anders, Board President of Marion Downtown Revitalization Association (MDRA), received a 2021 VMS Merit Award for Volunteer of the Year, which is given to a Main Street volunteer from a VMS designated community for their overall impact on the local downtown revitalization program. “After retiring from a career as a Marion police officer, … More Rex Anders Named Volunteer of the Year

If you’re hoping to learn more about grant programs that are available to aid the revitalization of your downtown, help transform a “white elephant” building in your community, encourage new businesses to open and more, then you’re in luck! Excitingly, the 2022 Economic Development & Community Vitality (EDCV) Program Roadshow will be held virtually on … More Join Us for the 2022 Economic Development & Community Vitality Program Roadshow!

Excitingly, Downtown Lynchburg Association (DLA) received a 2021 VMS Merit Award for Best Bounceback Strategy, which recognizes worthy examples of how local Main Street programs “bounced back” after the pandemic began to recede and supported businesses, while also demonstrating commitment to community. In order to raise funds for their Downtown Recovery Initiative and other small … More Downtown Lynchburg Association Receives Merit Award for Best Bounceback Strategy – DOWNTOWN-A-THON

Excitingly, the 2022 Community Revitalization Office (CRO) Calendar of Events is now available! As always, the CRO team remains committed to providing opportunities to connect like-minded leaders and best practices to help bolster economic development and community vitality in localities across Virginia, and we look forward to seeing stakeholders throughout next year, virtually and in-person. … More 2022 Community Revitalization Office Calendar of Events Now Available!