In Case You Missed It: June 2023 Digest

Posted on by Department of Housing and Community Development

During the month of June, the Virginia Main Street (VMS) team published seven blog posts, highlighting the latest community vitality-related news, events and more! Here’s a recap:

VMS Community News

  • It looks like the time is right for Main Street in the Town of Leesburg! A local Main Street effort has been on the table multiple times in the past, but it never gained the traction needed to get off the ground. This time around, the town took their time to ensure community interest was there to support the grassroots initiative. Click here to learn more!

Enhancing the Physical and Visual Elements of Downtown

  • After extensive planning and design, Lexington has installed a new garden as a gateway to its downtown district. Click here to learn more!
  • Façade improvements, even simple ones, have the power to not only preserve valuable historic resources but also to spur positive change throughout the entire community. Click here to learn more!

Promoting Strategic Use of Space and Development

  • Hopewell Downtown Partnership (HDP) recently welcomed supporters, citizens, partners, and the downtown-curious to an open house highlighting recently completed projects, teasing upcoming developments, and providing the opportunity for attendees to be a part of the community’s transformation. Click here to learn more!

Home Ownership Month

  • Three events in the City of Petersburg supporting home buying, homeowners, and housing production helped the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and other celebrate Home Ownership Month. Click here to learn more!

For-Impact Storytelling

  • As people, we gain knowledge and connect with others by sharing stories. Imagine that your Main Street leadership team could use storytelling to engage and motivate different audiences. What would that look like? Click here to learn more!

Backing Small Businesses

  • In 2021, American Express and Main Street America (MSA) created the Backing Small Businesses grant program to help economically vulnerable small business owners recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and grow their businesses. Of the 350 small businesses awarded this year, nine grantees are located in Virginia and found in communities that are active within the Virginia Main Street (VMS) network at various levels of participation. Click here to learn more!

Stay tuned for lots more great content in July!