During the month of January, the Virginia Main Street (VMS) team published eight blog posts, highlighting the latest community vitality-related news, events and more! Here’s a recap: VMS Community News: The Town of Lawrenceville became an Exploring Main Street (EMS) community and formally joined the powerful, grassroots VMS network! The Virginia Department of Housing and … More In Case You Missed It: January 2023 Digest
The Town of South Hill offers a variety of business incentives to foster an attractive climate for local businesses and spur economic growth. Two of these incentive programs—the Façade Improvement Program and the Building Up-Fit Grant—recently received additional support from a $50,000 Virginia Statewide Business District Resurgence Grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and … More Incentivizing Building Improvements in South Hill
Why icebreakers? Because they are fun! And awkward-but honestly, that is part of the fun. They are a great way to start a meeting or session. They break down barriers that exist between participants. They encourage interactions that normally wouldn’t happen. In today’s workplace, personal interactions don’t happen as organically, especially with remote meetings having … More Icebreaker Ideas for Team Building
Community Business Launch (CBL) is a place based entrepreneurial development strategy designed to fill a critical mass of vacant storefronts with expansion or start-up ventures. Local CBL programs provide a six – eight week curriculum for entrepreneurs, creatives, and small business owners in business planning best practices. This training culminates in business plans and a … More Steps to Planning Your Community Business Launch
Design is one of the four main points of the Main Street Approach and encompasses what becomes the feel and identity of a place. Utilizing funds from a Virginia Main Street (VMS) Community Vitality Grant (CVG), Buena Vista is transforming their downtown district through an intentional and people-driven beautification project. This placemaking effort aims to … More Beautifying Buena Vista
The historic importance of Colonial Beach is right in its name, a riverside resort town since the late 19th century equidistant from Washington D.C. and Richmond, Virginia. It’s a perfect spot for so many to have a getaway for a day or a weekend. For those who call it home, it’s a beloved community. “Local … More Colonial Beach by Design
Registration is open for the 2023 Main Street Now Conference! Register today and plan to join fellow commercial district revitalization leaders from across the country for three days of education sessions, special events, mobile workshops and opportunities to explore the host city (Boston), including 20 local Main Street neighborhoods. Whether you come from an urban … More Registration Open for 2023 Main Street Now Conference
Last month, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) launched its first cohort-based Mobilizing Main Street (MMS) program with 10 participating communities across the state. Through the MMS program, 10 communities will build a comprehensive downtown revitalization program that champions grassroots leadership and preservation-based economic development. Over a two-year period, Virginia Main Street … More Ten Communities Selected to Join the 2023-2024 Mobilizing Main Street Program Cohort
The Town of Lawrenceville has become an Exploring Main Street (EMS) community and formally joined the powerful, grassroots Virginia Main Street (VMS) network! Located by the Meherrin River, Lawrenceville was founded in 1814 and is the county seat of Brunswick County. The town’s historic downtown district, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, … More Lawrenceville Joins the Virginia Main Street Network by Becoming an Exploring Main Street Community!
Closing out 2022 with a recap of our December posts to keep you informed – NEWS Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) Grants announced – twenty (20) projects around the state will receive almost $25 million! Lovingston County, Petersburg, and Hampton all have exciting new projects taking shape. Steal their ideas and tailor them to your community! … More In Case You Missed It: December 2022 Digest
