Douglas Charles Jackson

Small City Placemaking Conference and Festival to happen in Roanoke

October 4, 2011

Cityworks (X)po, a conference and festival about creating energetic places in small cities, will take place in Roanoke on October 27-30. The event, spearheaded by entrepreneur and placemaker Ed Walker, will highlight best practices in creating, governing and participating in a vibrant cultural life in small cities. Some of the nationally-recognized speakers and performers include James Howard Kunstler, Kennedy … More Small City Placemaking Conference and Festival to happen in Roanoke

Harrisonburg drives downtown strategy for electric charging stations

September 30, 2011

In October, Harrisonburg will become the first city in the Shenandoah Valley, and one of only a handful of cities in the state, with a public, Level II electric car charging station. Located behind Harrisonburg Electric Commission (HEC) in downtown Harrisonburg, the charging station will provide citizens with clean energy for their electric vehicles and … More Harrisonburg drives downtown strategy for electric charging stations

Altavista On Track arts incubator effort spotlighted

September 28, 2011

Lynchburg station WSET recently featured Altavista’s efforts to build business downtown. The community’s Main Street organization, Altavisa On Track, has helped in the coordination and implementation of a DHCD-awarded Community Development Block Grant, and recently created an arts and antique incubator to spark entrepreneurship in the historic district. The strategy was the result of a Virginia Main Street-sponsored economic-restructuring plan facilitated by … More Altavista On Track arts incubator effort spotlighted

Hip-hop highlights: Lynchburg video features merchants and real community spirit

September 26, 2011

This video, promoting Downtown Lynchburg, is terrific. It’s even better when you know that it was done through the volunteer efforts of Lynch’s Landing board member Tony Camm and a bunch of spirited merchant and community participants. Camm, manager of the Downtown Lynchburg Holiday Inn, put a musical pastime to work for the community, writing the song … More Hip-hop highlights: Lynchburg video features merchants and real community spirit

Tayloe Murphy Resilience Award finalists announced

August 26, 2011

The Darden School of Business and its Tayloe Murphy Center at the University of Virginia has announced 14 finalists for the 2011 Tayloe Murphy Resilience Award. The following businesses in Virginia Main Street Communities were selected from among 88 applicants and 21 semi-finalists: A Bowl of Good Cafe, Inc., Harrisonburg Gearclean, Winchester Highground Services, Franklin … More Tayloe Murphy Resilience Award finalists announced

Bike Virginia puts pedal power into Radford economy

August 22, 2011

For three days, 2,000 cyclists from Virginia and other eastern states encamped in Radford as part of the 2011 Bike Virginia Tour. And, to help the region make the most of the event’s economic impact – projected at more than $1.5 million over the complete five days – Main Street Radford was busy providing volunteers, information, a welcoming spirit … More Bike Virginia puts pedal power into Radford economy

Sustainable Main Street resources available

August 19, 2011

Main Street efforts are already bringing together economic, social and environmental goals in pursuit of fostering quality in their communities. To push it a step futher, 70 participants gathered in Staunton in July for two days of conversation on and the examination of sustainability models in Virginia. Speakers included Andrea Dono of the National Trust for … More Sustainable Main Street resources available

Downtown Improvement Grants Awarded

August 15, 2011

Five Designated Virginia Main Street (VMS) Communities have been awarded 2011 Downtown Improvment Grants. This year, VMS communities served by CSX Transportation rail lines were eligible for a match of up to $5,000 from the corporation, pushing the awards from $2,500 to a total of $7,500. Waynesboro and Winchester will receive CSX Transportation VMS Downtown Improvement Grants. Communities … More Downtown Improvement Grants Awarded

Waynesboro awarded Community Development Block Grant for downtown project

July 1, 2011

Governor McDonnell has announced that Waynesboro, a Designated Virginia Main Street Community, will receive a $770,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for its Downtown Revitalization Project. The Virginia CDBG program is administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The grant was one of only 12 successful applications from among the 30 which competed for nearly $9 million in … More Waynesboro awarded Community Development Block Grant for downtown project

Heartwood opens doors as regional gateway

June 29, 2011

Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway is now open. The facility welcomes visitors to the region and connects lifelong residents with the artisans and musicians that surround them in the 19-county region of Southwest Virginia. Perched on a knoll adjacent to I-81 on the campus of Abingdon’s Virginia Highlands Community College, the unique structure, by Roanoke’s Spectrum Design, should attract curious … More Heartwood opens doors as regional gateway