This year, Marion reached the extraordinary milestone of 30 years as a designated Virginia Main Street community! The Marion Downtown Revitalization Association (MDRA) marked the occasion with an evening of celebration, reflection, and vision for the future, honoring decades of local leadership, economic revitalization, and community pride.
The anniversary celebration brought together partners, supporters, and long-time champions of downtown Marion. The evening featured a keynote address from former Governor George Allen and former First Lady Susan Allen, who first announced Marion’s Virginia Main Street designation in 1995. The event also included remarks from former and current MDRA board presidents, highlighting just how far Marion has come, and a special preview of the new downtown plan, Marion 2035.
“We are so honored to be able to celebrate this amazing milestone, and to formally mark this community’s successes along the way,” said Kenneth Heath, Executive Director of Marion Downtown Revitalization Association.” We are transformed from a sleepy town with 20% storefront vacancies that was rumored to roll up the sidewalks at 5pm to a vibrant, thriving downtown – all thanks to the training and support we continue to receive from the Virginia Main Street program.”
Over the last 30 years, Marion has become one of Virginia’s most compelling Main Street success stories. Thanks to steadfast collaboration, visionary leadership, and an unwavering belief in the power of downtown, the community has achieved extraordinary milestones, including:
• 318 private improvement projects totaling more than $45 million,
• 51 public improvement projects contributing an additional $39.6 million,
• 400 new or expanded businesses and more than 1,000 jobs created,
• Storefront vacancies at under 2%, the lowest in modern Marion’s history, and exceptional leadership from Kenneth Heath, the longest-serving Executive Director in the Virginia Main Street network.
One of the most influential programs in Marion’s revitalization journey is Pop Up Marion, now celebrating its 25th cohort. Since its beginning in 2009, the program has:
• Welcomed 383 participants
• Supported the sale of 13 downtown buildings
• Filled 34 storefronts
• Created 173 jobs
• Spurred more than $3 million in private reinvestment
America’s Coolest Hometown—Then, Now, and Ahead
Even as the community celebrates its past, Marion’s eyes are firmly on the future. The town is currently completing Marion 2035, a community visioning process designed to guide downtown priorities for the next decade.
As Marion looks toward 2035 and beyond, one thing is certain: the heart of downtown is strong, and its next chapter promises to be just as inspiring as the last three decades.
Congratulations to the Marion Downtown Revitalization Association and to the entire community on thirty years of transformational Main Street success!
Photo Credits: Marion Downtown Revitalization Association & the Virginia Main Street Archives
Virginia Main Street 