We don’t yet know what the new normal will be after the COVID-19 crisis winds down. But, we do know that keeping people engaged with places and people throughout the pandemic is a key to keeping them engaged in the future. One way to provide socially distant activities is through guided smartphone-based apptivities, such as … More Creating Interactive Apptivities for Downtowns
Guest Blogger Diana Schwartz, executive director of Danville’s River District Association, is a native of Dickenson County, Virginia, and was previously director of business retention for the Ocala/Marion Chamber and Economic Partnership in Florida, as well as director of the Ocala Main Street Program. Danville, Virginia may be best known for the railroad system, including … More A Jewel Worth Saving: Re-imagining Danville’s North Union Street
During an annual legislative reception hosted last week, First Lady Pam Northam highlighted the findings of two just-completed studies showing the sustained and substantial contribution that historic preservation makes to Virginia’s economy, specifically through the state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits (HRTCs) One study, conducted by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and … More New Report Shows Historic Tax Credits Boost Virginia’s Economy
COASTAL LIVING magazine recently announced its seventh annual top 10 list of America’s Happiest Seaside Towns. The unranked list includes top beach destinations across the United States, from Michigan to Florida and from Oregon to…Virginia’s Cape Charles! Here’s your call to action! You have until February 6 at 5 p.m. EST to vote for your … More Vote for America’s Happiest Seaside Town
I was recently going through the 8,952,423,065 pictures on my phone – saving some, posting some, even printing some, and deleting a lot. This exercise in photo curation is a great walk down memory lane from my past year. It is a reminder of all of the places I have been and interesting things that … More Vacation Inspiration: I’m Never Not Working
Our guest blogger is Luray Downtown Initiative (LDI) Executive Director Meredith Dees. She is a Luray native and recently returned after a career experience in Denver, CO overseeing regional retail operations for a yoga brand. Any Main Street manager will tell you that as soon as they hear the words “road construction” or “street closures” … More An Evening on the Bridge: Luray’s Hometown Fundraiser
From South Boston to Winchester, St. Paul to Norfolk, many of our Virginia communities have seen significant revitalization as a result of the Federal Historic Tax Credits (HTC). In many cases, if not most cases, rehabilitation of historic structures counts on this funding to make those projects work – and the credits are slated for elimination … More Tax Reform and Downtown Rehabilitation
While you were busy making a difference in your home town, you might have missed these thought-provoking posts: Holiday Customer Service: 7 Tips Retailers Should Not Ignore – Retail Minded Craft Beer’s Big Impact on Small Towns and Forgotten Neighborhoods – Curbed 6 Urban Projects Built Thanks to Online Civic Engagement – CitizenLab How to … More The District Digest Vol. 2 – Downtown Ideas to Put to Work
The Ashland Main Street Association and its local partners are dedicated to making downtown an amazing destination. How? By embracing their transportation history they are improving the visitor experience and creating memorable central gathering spaces. Executive Director Tom Wulf is our guest blogger with the details. Earlier in 2017, mural artist Ed Trask and … More The Destination Express: Enhancing the Visitor Experience with History
After decades of market preference for suburban development, Main Street and downtowns are hot again! Back in the market, they are once again desirable targets for investment, business startups, expansion, the creative economy, housing, and tourism. So, how do we sustain that momentum, take advantage of the attention, and keep the revitalization progress moving forward? … More “Booster Rockets” For Downtown Revitalization Momentum
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