At the heart of Main Street are the people who make it happen! Volunteers are a vital part of a Main Street organization as they offer essential insight, credibility, and capacity. However, finding great volunteers and keeping them on board can be a challenge. In a Main Street America Institute course on Advanced Principles of … More Growing Your Grassroots: Volunteer Recruitment and Retention
On Tuesday, March 7, Mayor Alonzo Jones, Ken Larking, City Manager, Diana Schwartz, Executive Director for the River District Association (RDA), and other local leaders cut the ribbon at 206 North Union Street for the “Plan Danville” storefront. “The City of Danville wanted to invite the general public to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony to … More Danville’s Storefront for Community Vision Planning
Has your community considered applying for a Community Business Launch (CBL) grant in the past but needed more funding to make a real impact in your commercial district? Well, you’re in luck! This year, CBL applicants can apply for up to $100,000 to complete a place-based entrepreneurial development strategy to fill a critical mass of … More Community Business Launch Funding Expanded for Fiscal Year 2024
Lifestyle amenities such as the availability of outdoor recreation options, the opportunity to experience the bounty of agricultural producers, and a thriving downtown district with outfitters, restaurants, and locally owned shops are no longer just focused on tourism. Increasingly job creators are looking for those place based assets that make a community unique and will … More Where Trails, Agritourism, and Main Street Meet
During the month of February, 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: Grant Project Examples: Grant Advice: Homeownership: Looking Back: Finding Main Street Training Resources: Stay tuned for lots more great content in March!
The COVID-19 pandemic placed an overwhelming strain on small businesses and for minority-owned businesses, that already face a number of barriers to resources, the need for support has been all the more pressing. Knowing the challenges Black and Brown business owners face in surviving the pandemic, the Metropolitan Business League (MBL) applied for a Virginia … More Resurgence in Richmond’s Arts District
The historic Blackstone College for Girls, which was attended by Bea Arthur, and former Virginia United Methodist Assembly Center (VUMAC) property in Blackstone, Virginia has been transformed into a chic, modern-industrial boutique hotel with 100+ rooms and plenty of amenities for local residents and guests to enjoy! What used to be a private, religious school … More Blackstone Welcomes New Boutique Hotel
It’s Black History Month! As a housing agency, it’s a great time to reflect on innovative ways to increase Black homeownership in Virginia. In 2022, White households had a homeownership rate of 75%, while Black households had a homeownership rate of 45% (PewTrusts 10/2022). Let’s start by examining factors that contribute to the gap in … More Celebrating Black History Through Innovative Homeownership Opportunities
Hopewell Downtown Partnership (HDP) has paved a path for real estate (re)development projects in Hopewell by educating a cohort of small-scale developers in and around the downtown historic district. The initiative started big picture with an open lecture and seminar that engaged nearly 200 participants from Hopewell and the region and introduced the incremental approach … More Fostering Small-Scale Development in Hopewell
This blog post follows up on Steps to Community Business Launch from January 23, 2023. A key component of the Community Business Launch (CBL) application is the local match. As previously noted, this match can and should be more than just cash. Here are a few of the most impactful types of in-kind match: Free … More The Magic of the Match: Planning Your Community Business Launch
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