Virginia Main Street Grants Announced

November 21, 2016

Governor McAuliffe recently announced $65,000 in Virginia Main Street program grant funding for five projects in the towns of Bedford and Blackstone, and the cities of Fredericksburg, Franklin and Winchester. The Downtown Investment Grants, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), are for design and economic vitality projects targeting areas of … More Virginia Main Street Grants Announced

Pop-Up Altavista 2.0: Cultivating Local Entrepreneurs with an Educational Business Launch Competition

November 9, 2016

How can Main Street help entrepreneurs achieve a business expansion or start their own business? The National Main Street Center’s Main Street Story of the Week features Pop-Up Altavista 2.0, Altavista On Track’s (AOT) second business launch competition.  Emelyn Gwynn, Main Street Coordinator for Altavista, highlights the program, which kicked off September, 2016.  Building off … More Pop-Up Altavista 2.0: Cultivating Local Entrepreneurs with an Educational Business Launch Competition

Shop Local, Support Local with HuTerra and Virginia Main Street

October 31, 2016

There’s no better time to visit Main Street then the holidays. Winter celebrations bring revelers together to enjoy light shows, caroling and special shopping experiences with local merchants. There is a magic to shopping on Main Street that simply doesn’t exist at the mall. We can feel good about our shopping because keeping the cash register … More Shop Local, Support Local with HuTerra and Virginia Main Street

One-Stop Website for Virginia Grants

October 28, 2016

Governor McAuliffe held his first Grants Summit recently at the Patrick Henry Building in Richmond, Virginia. The educational event was attended by more than 70 State Agencies who gathered to hear from experts on writing an effective grant application. The summit highlighted the Virginia grants portal, provided tips on writing a successful grant application, and highlighted the … More One-Stop Website for Virginia Grants

Discover What’s “Wythein:” Downtown Wytheville’s Vibrant New Website

October 26, 2016

Main Street program websites come in many shapes and sizes.  The challenge is to create a simple and fresh website that promotes the Main Street organization and local brand while showcasing the unique charm of downtown and all it has to offer. Downtown Wytheville Inc. recently updated their online presence with a website refresh that provides an … More Discover What’s “Wythein:” Downtown Wytheville’s Vibrant New Website

The CRO Roadshow is coming to a location near you!

October 24, 2016

This fall, the DHCD Community Revitalization Office is traveling throughout the state to highlight community development and capacity building programs and grants. Whether you are looking to revitalize a derelict and blighted building in your community or are interested in using the Main Street approach to community revitalization, we will introduce you to our services and programs … More The CRO Roadshow is coming to a location near you!

Virginia Main Street Regional Rev Up: Advancing Main Street Momentum with Good Data

October 17, 2016

On November 1, 3, and 4 in Wytheville, Culpeper, and Farmville, the fall edition of the Regional Rev Up promises to load your downtown revitalization kit with the tools you need to develop market-based revitalization strategies.   The business of Main Street is constantly evolving.  New challenges and opportunities are always presenting themselves. If we … More Virginia Main Street Regional Rev Up: Advancing Main Street Momentum with Good Data

Webinar: Creating Your Community Transformation Strategies – Oct. 25

October 14, 2016

On October 25, 12-1 PM, Virginia Main Street is offering a free webinar with everything you need to know about getting organized and catalyzing investment for real change. How do you take your downtown vision from concept to reality? The vision establishes the ultimate target toward which all Main Street efforts are directed, and it requires that major … More Webinar: Creating Your Community Transformation Strategies – Oct. 25

Governor Announces Virginia Entrepreneurial Challenge

October 3, 2016

Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced that he is partnering with Virginia Commonwealth University and Junior Achievement of Central Virginia to host the Virginia Entrepreneurial Challenge on Saturday, Oct. 15 and Sunday, Oct. 16 at the VCU School of Business. The challenge will be a weekend-long entrepreneurship boot camp for high school juniors and seniors. The … More Governor Announces Virginia Entrepreneurial Challenge

Make the Most of Heritage Tourism in Virginia

September 30, 2016

Did you know that the cultural heritage tourist typically spends more and stays longer than other types of U.S. travelers? Preservation Virginia is co-hosting the 31st annual Virginia Preservation Conference in Charlottesville, an event that draws 200 community leaders, developers, architects, local planning officials and others from across the Commonwealth.   Following the release of the … More Make the Most of Heritage Tourism in Virginia