Virginia Main Street

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? At our most recent VMS team retreat, we tried out a new icebreaker. We paired off and one partner was given an image and tasked with describing it to the other, using only shape and size instructions. For instance “In the top third of the paper there is a rectangle, if you fold … 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 WEBINARS On December 7th DHCD partnered with members of the Virginia CDFI Coalition to share “How CDFIs Close the Wealth Gap.” Access to capital is an important part of your entrepreneurial ecosystem and Virginia’s Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFI) … More In Case You Missed It: December 2022 Digest

Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced more than $24.7 million in 20 Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) grants. IRF grants provide gap financing for construction projects aligned with local and regional economic development strategies, primarily in distressed communities.  “The transformation of older, vacant or blighted structures into productive, usable spaces is crucial to catalyzing economic growth to create … More Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) Grants Announced!