This season often prompts reflection as the days wind down and offers the opportunity to review the year’s challenges and achievements. Virginia Main Street (VMS) communities, as well as the Coordinating Program itself, have had a very eventful 2023.
In January, Advancing Virginia Main Street (AVMS) executive directors gathered in Wytheville for the annual VMS Director’s Retreat. The retreat included a tour of the Millwald Theatre, workshops on grant funding opportunities, for-impact project planning and a tour of Wytheville’s catalytic projects that have positively shaped their downtown. There were also several moments of respite and connection, opportunities for directors to engage, collaborate and strengthen our state and regional networks.
In March, VMS connected with the national network when staff traveled to Boston, MA for the Main Street NOW Conference. There was a great show of support from Virginia with more than 50 directors, board presidents and municipal leaders joining together to learn about the latest Main Street strategies and tools to bring back and grow their communities. The best part of the conference for the VMS team was watching Danville take home the prestigious Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA). The GAMSA recognizes exceptional Main Street communities whose successes serve as a model for comprehensive, preservation-based commercial district revitalization. The honor was well deserved, and VMS was so happy to celebrate Danville’s many successes!
Moving into May, VMS hosted three Spring Rev Up trainings across the state in Altavista, Fredericksburg and Bristol. Jennifer Goldman, nonprofit consultant, presented “Money Matters” which focused on funding best practices, diverse funding streams and work-plan-aligned budgeting. Over 60 participants engaged in the interactive workshops, gaining new skills in sustainable funding practices.
This grant season, VMS awarded 30 grants totaling $2.5 million in funding for projects catalyzing downtown development, spurring and sustaining small business growth and strengthening the economic vitality of Main Streets across Virginia.
In the fall, Transformation Strategy workshops, with facilitation support from Main Street America, intertwined community input and market data to help determine market and customer segments, unique assets, and strengths for a handful of Main Street communities, developing a personalized strategy that will transform their downtown vitality in a two- to three-year timeline.
These workshops involved focused preparation, surveying community members, and inviting business owners, property owners, and municipal leaders to focus groups. Market data was then collected from software tools Placer.AI and ESRI, and all of that information was synthesized into strategies that will inform the communities’ work plans. This service took place across the state in Fredericksburg, Culpeper, Manassas, Warrenton, Blackstone, Altavista, Staunton, Luray, and St. Paul in addition to all 10 Mobilizing Main Street (MMS) Communities.
Having a Transformation Strategy aligned work plan is one of the new six Main Street America Accreditation Standards coming into full effect in the new year. In 2023, VMS held a bi-monthly training series focusing on the “Switch to Six” diving into each standard with topic experts from Main Street America and our wider Virginia Main Street network.
The fall Rev-Up dove in on the fifth Accreditation Standard: Preservation-Based Economic Development. The workshops, which took place in Luray, Galax, and Blackstone, were expertly led by Kathy Frazier of Frazier Associates. Walking the 50-plus participants through historic preservation resources and tools such as the database of the Virginia Landmarks Register, and the National Register of Historic Places, Kathy led a tour of each downtown district with a design assessment tool, teaching the participants how to better understand how the building stock is contributing to the value of their downtowns.
Turning our minds to the new year, the culmination of all the training, workshops, technical assistance, and grant awards deserves a moment of celebration and sincere reflection as this work has set the stage for continued stories of success. It is truly remarkable to look back at the accomplishments of each VMS community knowing how much energy and passion goes into the vitalization of their downtowns and the tremendous value each organization brings to their district. We are proud to be part of that work!
Photo Credit:
Director’s Retreat – Blaire Buergler
2023 Main Street Now – Mark Manne Photography
Staunton 4th of July Parade – Greg Beam
Virginia Main Street 