We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.
Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.
Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!
Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.
Main Spotlight: Announcing the 2023 Great American Main Street Award Winners
Main Street America is proud to recognize River District Association in Danville, Virginia; Downtown Florence Main Street in Florence, South Carolina; and Metuchen Downtown Alliance (MDA) in Metuchen, New Jersey, as the 2023 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners. This prestigious award is the nation’s top award recognizing communities for their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization. The 2023 GAMSA designations, sponsored by The Hartford, were presented on March 27, 2023, at the opening plenary for the Main Street Now conference in Boston, Massachusetts.
“Danville, Florence, and Metuchen demonstrate that our collaborative, grassroots approach to commercial district revitalization is a powerful tool for uplifting communities,” said Main Street America Interim President and CEO, Hannah White. “Each organization’s story and work are unique, however the 2023 GAMSA winners all demonstrate excellence in creating welcoming downtowns through representative leadership, innovative programming, and inclusive economic development.”
River District Association – Danville, Virginia
Two women enjoy an outing with Danville's public bikes through the HOME sign pocket park on Main Street in the River District. Credit: Laura Ashworth.
Danville’s downtown is well known for its rich manufacturing heritage, which built large brick facilities along the town’s eponymous waterway. As these industries shrank during 1980s-2000s, the downtown suffered economically. Revitalization work led by River District Association (RDA) began in 1999 with a mission to coordinate efforts with the city agencies. Since 2011, strategically designed action plans rooted in exceptionally strong collaborative leadership based on the principles of the Main Street Approach and public-private partnerships supported sustainable economic initiatives, multifunctional promotional activities, and property development.
The results: Danville’s vision of a vibrant downtown is coming to fruition. Since 2010, RDA has leveraged $52 million in public investment to attract $310 million in private investment to facilitate the creation of more than 150 businesses and the addition of over 1,200 residential spaces. Notable successes include the organization’s signature Dream Launch entrepreneurship series that has provided free start-up training to over 465 participants and has distributed $375,000 in grants; a façade improvement program that has provided nearly 40 property owners and tenants with in-kind professional services, grants, and technical assistance; and raising the trustworthiness and reputation of the organization.
Now, the downtown is not only rebounding, but thriving as an attractive place for residents and visitors to remember the area’s history while contributing to a vibrant future for all.
Downtown Florence Main Street – Florence, South Carolina
Aroha AfroLatin Dance, a downtown minority-owned business, leads line dancing at Florence After 5. Credit: True Light Photography.
For decades, downtown Florence suffered from a negative public perception fueled by empty storefronts, racial divides, and a practice of demolishing neglected—yet culturally significant—buildings in favor of new construction. Then in 2002, the City of Florence and the Florence Downtown Development Corp., combined efforts to form Downtown Florence Main Street and adopted the Main Street Approach to downtown revitalization. Through community-informed economic development, historic preservation, and quality of life initiatives that leverage dedicated volunteers and partnerships with diverse stakeholders, downtown Florence is experiencing a renaissance.
Signature outcomes include reversing the status quo of razing historic buildings in favor for new construction. To date, eight buildings have benefitted from historic tax credits, 56 buildings have utilized the organization’s façade grant program, and 11 structures have leveraged historic building maintenance grants. Additionally, the district has secured $300 million in investment, added over 100 units of new housing, and welcomed over 90 new businesses. Catalytic projects include the development of the City Center Market and Kitchen—a municipal-owned commercial kitchen and market facility that supports over 20 food-based entrepreneurs and 40+ farmers market vendors—and ongoing efforts to bridge both physical and metaphorical divides through inclusive leadership, meaningful conversation, and intentional action.
Today, downtown Florence is once again a shining jewel where locals and visitors find exceptional local dining, award-winning entertainment venues, vibrant public art, and buildings rich in architectural heritage.
Metuchen's Main Street bridge encourages residents and visitors to "Shop Small, Shop Local." Credit: Lauren Beischer.
Metuchen Downtown Alliance (MDA) was formed in 2016 in response to the community’s concerns related to the area’s high commercial vacancy rate, low business retention, and poor appearance. Driven by objectives to create a welcoming, walkable, and inclusive downtown through innovative and family-friendly programming—and equipped with support from local elected officials, community members, Main Street New Jersey, and the Main Street Approach—the alliance has achieved remarkable success in just six years.
Notable accomplishments include establishing “Shop Local” as a core part of the community’s identity through hosting over 100 retail promotions activities. The organization also serves a critical role in nurturing small business creation, preservation, and growth. To date, 60 businesses have benefitted from façade, technology, and marketing grants. An additional 144 businesses—including 19 new restaurants, cafés, and bakeries—have opened and the commercial vacancy rate has dropped from 22% to 4%. MDA leadership is also proud of their efforts to nurture economic growth and community connections through their support of downtown housing projects and their commitment to hosting inclusive activation activities through iterative placemaking projects, public art installations, and community events that reflect the rich and diverse identities of Metuchen’s residents.
Once called the "Brainy Borough" for being home to innovators, scientists, and creatives, downtown Metuchen is reimagining this moniker for the residents, entrepreneurs, and artists of today and beyond.
Urban Impact Inc., harnesses strategic investments and collaborative efforts to foster a vibrant and sustainable future, from visionary adaptive reuse ventures to transformative development grants for small businesses and property owners in Birmingham, Alabama's historic 4th Avenue Black Business District.
Online registration and the regular rate are available through Friday, April 26. Download the conference mobile app, sign-up for the attendee webinar, grab some Shop Main Street merch, get recommendations, and more!
With just a little over a month to go until we convene in Birmingham, Alabama, for the 2024 Main Street Now Conference from May 6-8, we are excited to announce that the full schedule is available online and the mobile app is ready for download.
From budgets and staffing to programming priorities and the myriad of backgrounds that bring people to Main Street, the insights and key findings from this year's trends survey provide a snapshot of the state of the Main Street Movement.
REV Birmingham and Woodlawn United share how they work to reenergize spaces and places in Birmingham, Alabama, through civic infrastructure projects in the city’s historic commercial corridors.
With a specially priced registration rate of $199, tailored education track, free lunch & learn session, and abundant networking opportunities, Main Street Now 2024 is made for civic leaders passionate about community preservation and economic development in historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial corridors.
Opportunities to experience time-tested Main Street Approach techniques and creative solutions in action abound in Birmingham with these great excursions.
Starting in early 2024, we will engage in an intensive program assessment of MSAI. We look forward to bringing an enhanced Main Street professional development experience to the network later in the year.
Founded in 2003 and currently housed within the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Michigan Main Street (MMS) recently celebrated 20 years of impact across 41 communities.
This three-week live, online course will prepare local leaders to more effectively work with small business owners in their districts and create an environment that is supportive of entrepreneurship.
We are excited to share a recent collaboration with Spark! Places of Innovation, a traveling exhibition curated by the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program.
We are excited to welcome Jenice Contreras to the Main Street America Board of Directors. Jenice has a long record of leadership across community and economic development with deep experience with equitable growth, small-scale development, and cultural preservation.
Join Main Street America experts in Vancouver, Wash., to gain first-hand experience in harnessing transformation strategies to successfully revitalize your Main Street!
We are excited to announce that 862 Main Street programs across the country have earned Accredited status, Main Street America’s top level of recognition.
The MSARP credential is the highest level of achievement offered through the Main Street America Institute, requiring dedication to completing a rigorous curriculum of online courses, readings, assignments, workshops, and a challenging final exam.
Over the course of three days, nearly 1900 Main Streeters from near and far gathered for dynamic educational sessions, immersive mobile workshops, and network-building activities.
Check out our new shop featuring clothing and apparel, accessories, home and office goods, and kids’ and baby items inspired by the Main Street Movement.
Main Street America is proud to recognize John Bry, Program Coordinator at Main Street Oakland County (MSOC) in Michigan, as the 2023 Mary Means Leadership Award recipient.
We’re excited to announce a new suite of resources designed for Main Street! The Main Street Foundations Series provides an overview of each Point through four comprehensive introductory videos, one-page guides, materials from our resource center, and more.
From the ongoing pivots needed to meet changing community needs to the timeless power of place, these are the most popular blog posts we published this year.
At the Opening Plenary at the Main Street Now Conference in Richmond, Virginia, Patrice Frey shared lessons and reflections from her past nine years at Main Street.
Leverage NC, a partnership between North Carolina Main Street and the North Carolina League of Municipalities, hosted a four-part webinar series titled Better Community Planning & Economic Development led by Ed McMahon, Chair Emeritus of Main Street America and a leading national authority on land use policy and economic development.
A series of small, incremental improvements, when taken together, provide momentum for long-term economic transformation and improved quality of life in a community.
The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) during its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The National Main Street Center and the Brookings Institution have jointly authored a response to Mr. Hyman’s piece, The Reality of Main Street, that is featured on Brookings’ blog.
Michigan Main Street Center was the first Coordinating Program to implement the new Main Street approach on a large scale. In this article, they share their robust process and valuable lessons.
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Back in October 2015, we introduced the three key components of the refreshed Main Street Approach: inputs, outputs and Community Transformation Strategies.
For a lucky few downtowns, greatness may happen effortlessly with a strong sense of place that seems to develop organically and simply sustain itself. For most places, success doesn’t happen by chance.
While there have been over $1.2 billion in public and private investment in Wisconsin Main Street communities over the past 27 years, what really makes it special are the people and places that have been involved.
Although a “beach town,” Rehoboth Beach is open 365 days a year, and with that has the unique challenge of catering to both year-round residents and tourists within a wide range of ages, interests and economic levels
In communities across the country, hardworking business owners and buy local advocates come together to foster an organized effort to reinvent and revitalize Main Streets and downtown districts.
The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce that Cape Girardeau, Mo., Montclair Center, N.J., and Rawlins, Wyo. were selected as the 2015 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winners.