Happy Tuesday, Main Street friends! The Community Vitality Office (CVO) team posted thirteen (13) post this month. Did you miss any of them? If so, don’t worry we’ve got you covered ! Catch up here with this month’s edition of “In Case You Missed It!“ NEWS : UPCOMING EVENTS: As the month comes to a … More In Case You Missed It: October 2022 Digest

With the generous support of the 1772 Foundation, Main Street America’s research team recently launched the At Home on Main Street project, a four-part housing research initiative that aims to provide action-oriented recommendations and support the network in strengthening Main Streets through thoughtful housing development. A few months ago, Main Street America shared its first … More At Home on Main Street: The State of Housing in Downtowns and Neighborhood Commercial Districts

Recently, an interactive mural was completed, adding color and vibrancy to a prominent, high-traffic area in Downtown Lynchburg. Apart from making downtown a more inviting and welcoming place, the new Creating Our Culture mural seeks to promote, elevate and raise awareness for Lynchburg’s artists of color. On the mural, a QR code is displayed, directing … More Creating Our Culture: New Mural Raises Awareness for Lynchburg Artists of Color

Virginia Main Street (VMS) remains one of the best community and economic development investments in state government, leveraging an average of $123 in private funds for every dollar of state funding. In 2021 staff worked with communities across the Commonwealth to employ the Main Street Approach™ to create qualitative and quantitative outcomes through targeted design, economic, … More DHCD Releases 2021 Virginia Main Street Annual Report

What does it mean to be a “Development Ready” community? The final webinar of our three-part series helped localities begin to answer that thought-provoking question. Guest speakers Sandy Ratliff, Vice President of Community Innovation at Virginia Community Capital, and Cathy Lowe, Executive Director at the Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator, walked participants through tips and … More Development Ready Webinar Series (Part 3): Supporting Small Business Development

On November 26, 2022, communities across the country will rally around local businesses during this year’s Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting small businesses. You might not realize it, but every time you pick up a cup of coffee from your favorite neighborhood cafe or buy a gift from a local artist’s online … More Rally Your Community for Small Business Saturday!

What does it mean to be a “Development Ready” community? The second webinar of our three-part series helped localities begin to answer that thought-provoking question. Guest speaker Joe Borgstrom, Principal at Place + Main Advisors, LLC, showed participants how to find and market to experienced developers who will help the community meet their vision. Here … More Development Ready Webinar Series (Part 2): Marketing and Promotion for Attracting Developers

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Virginia Main Street (VMS) grants for 16 communities, totaling more than $257,000, and $180,000 in Community Business Launch (CBL) grants for three communities. These awards will help to revitalize historic commercial districts, expand small businesses, train entrepreneurs and bolster local economies across the Commonwealth. “For over 30 years, the Virginia Main … More BREAKING NEWS! 2023 Virginia Main Street and Community Business Launch Grants Announced

The Made in Bristol brand encompasses all small-scale production and manufacturing businesses in Bristol, Virginia and Tennessee. It has helped put Bristol on the map and made it easier for local producers and manufactures to thrive and promote their products outside of the local community. The City of Bristol, in partnership with Believe in Bristol … More “Made in Bristol” Supports Small-Scale Producers

What does it mean to be a “Development Ready” community? The first webinar of our three-part series helped localities begin to answer that thought-provoking question. Guest speakers Elizabeth Williams and Neil Heller, both of whom are faculty members at the Incremental Development Alliance (IDA), walked participants through the what, why and where of incremental development, … More Development Ready Webinar Series (Part 1): Small-Scale Incremental Development Recap