Virginia Main Street (VMS) recently had the honor of joining the Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA) at their summer membership meeting centered on exploring the intersection of community and economic development. VMS presented the annual Merit Awards highlighting the outstanding achievements of Main Street communities and their impactful projects, partners, and initiatives. Six communities received awards:
Power of Preservation – St. Paul Tomorrow
The Power of Preservation award highlights the actions taken by a community to preserve its cultural and built heritage. After more than 20 years of planning and perseverance, St. Paul Tomorrow (STP) was an essential leader and partner in the preservation and rehabilitation of the historic Lyric Theater in downtown St. Paul. The Lyric Theater is now once again a key element of St. Paul’s downtown, creating a multi-use space for everything from conferences to exciting live acts to film festivals.
Promotional Innovation – City of Roanoke Economic Development
The Promotional Innovation award recognizes an innovative campaign or event that promotes the local Main Street district. The City of Roanoke received the award for their ‘It’s Here!’ promotional campaign, highlighting the role the arts play in economic and community development. The campaign utilized many partnerships to help promote Roanoke’s arts industry and became a way to help better connect communities and emphasize all that Roanoke has to offer.
Impactful Placemaking – Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance (HDR) and the Explore More Discovery Museum received the award for Impactful Placemaking for their Downtown Ducklings project. This project encourages families and visitors to explore more parts of the downtown area by searching for bronze statue ducklings located throughout the district. The project has increased downtown foot traffic, fostered meaningful community engagement, and even led to a children’s book based on the ducklings, called “Look Up, Patito!”
Entrepreneurship Gamechanger – Downtown Wytheville, Inc.
Downtown Wytheville, Inc. was awarded for their innovative Grow with Google project. Wytheville was one of 10 communities selected nation-wide to pilot this new program that brings critical online tools to small businesses. Throughout the program, they offered over 25 trainings all led by a certified Grow with Google Coach, with total attendance nearing 2,000 participants. Of the 10 selected communities to pilot the “Grow with Google” program, Downtown Wytheville was ranked 2nd in number of businesses trained.
Main Street Changemaker (Local Leader of the Year) – Tom Raab, South Boston
The Main Street Changemaker award honors a local leader who has shown strong support and ongoing commitment for the local Main Street program. Tom Raab, Town Manager of South Boston, was awarded for his continuous dedicated leadership and support of the local Main Street program, Destination Downtown South Boston (DDSB). His efforts helped lead to the renovation of the John Randolph hotel, a highly successful Community Business Launch (CBL) program, and much more for the Town of South Boston.
Main Street Champion (Partner of the Year) – Danville Regional Foundation
The Main Street Champion award highlights the partners that support and make our Main Street work possible. This year the Danville Regional Foundation (DRF) was awarded for their crucial part in the continued revitalization of the City of Danville and for their partnership with the River District Association (RDA), a Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winner. DRF has given critical support to many impactful projects and exemplifies the role of a foundation and/or community partner in Main Steet-centered work.
Congratulations to all VMS Merit Award winners! Be on the lookout for future blog posts discussing the awarded projects in more detail.
Virginia Main Street 