Category: Design

South Boston project wins Virginia Main Street Special Achievement Award and VDDA Award of Excellence

July 3, 2014

Rehab Development, a Winston-Salem, N.C.-based developer specializing in downtown Main Street revitalization, historic preservation and successful public/private partnership formation, in partnership with Destination Downtown South Boston, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer-based Virginia Main Street Organization dedicated to the economic and cultural revitalization of downtown South Boston, has won the 2014 Virginia Main Street Special Achievement Award … More South Boston project wins Virginia Main Street Special Achievement Award and VDDA Award of Excellence

Culpeper Renaissance Inc. hosts free seminar for historic property owners

July 1, 2014

Culpeper Renaissance Inc. (CRI) and Culpeper Architectural Review Board (ARB) hosted a free seminar entitled Tips to Maintain Your Old Building on June 25. The goal of the seminar is to provide owners of historic homes and buildings with a basic knowledge of issues related to restoring and preserving their investment.  Culpeper Renaissance Inc. maintains … More Culpeper Renaissance Inc. hosts free seminar for historic property owners

Hopewell, Martinsville and St. Paul receive funds to revitalize derelict downtown buildings

December 30, 2013

On Dec. 10, Governor Bob McDonnell announced more than $2 million in Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) grants, including grants for the designated VMS communities of Hopewell, Martinsville and St. Paul. The funds leverage local and private resources to achieve market-driven redevelopment of derelict structures, creating catalysts for long-term employment opportunities and on-going physical and economic … More Hopewell, Martinsville and St. Paul receive funds to revitalize derelict downtown buildings

Curb Appeal: Create an inviting downtown pedestrian experience!

December 12, 2013

 ** Guest blogger Kathleen O. Frazier, AIA, Principal of Frazier Associates We often talk about the big design projects in downtown: overall building rehabilitation, façade improvements, new street lights and sidewalks, public spaces for events and so on. Creating curb appeal means looking at your community at eye level and from the perspective of the … More Curb Appeal: Create an inviting downtown pedestrian experience!

Commercial architecture in Virginia’s Main Street communities

December 6, 2013

Most Virginia Main Street communities trace their beginnings to the mid-18th to early-19th centuries, when the line between commercial and domestic architecture was often blurred. This was especially true for taverns or ordinaries, which frequently occupied former residences. In fact, many tavern keepers simply rented houses  in order to conduct their business. These ordinaries were some of the … More Commercial architecture in Virginia’s Main Street communities

What is Main Street Worth?

November 19, 2013

The Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service estimates that in Virginia real property taxes make up an average 57.8 percent of local revenue for cities and 31.2 percent for large towns. How significant a contributor is your Main Street district to this revenue stream? Joseph Minicozzi, the principal of Urban3 LLC, argues in a post on … More What is Main Street Worth?

VMS Essentials Workshop in Culpeper Sept. 11-12

August 7, 2013

Sept. 11-12, 2013 The Culpeper Center 137 South Main Street Culpeper, Virginia So, your community is known for a festival or two, and the historic commercial district is showing signs of life? It is time to take the next step. Design and economic restructuring strategies cannot only improve the appearance and vibrancy of your downtown, … More VMS Essentials Workshop in Culpeper Sept. 11-12

Fixing Up Public Spaces On The Cheap

September 26, 2012

The renovation of large public spaces requires the investment of financial and human resources that may not be possible in all communities or justified for all public spaces. However, the “lighter, quicker and cheaper” approach advocated by the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is an affordable way to start bringing life back to neglected public spaces, with … More Fixing Up Public Spaces On The Cheap

Can your Main Street Pass the Walkability Popsicle Test?

February 28, 2012

In his recent blog post, What Pictures Can Teach Us About Walkability, Kaid Benfield suggests that we can use some very simple techniques to determine how well our downtown is doing.  Benfield’s emphasis is on sustainable communities, which, he argues, are perhaps best described as communities that are walkable. Benfield asks, “is [the community] safe, … More Can your Main Street Pass the Walkability Popsicle Test?